Lindbergh Schools is facing rapid growth over the next five years and expects to add 464 students by 2017-1218, enough to fill 23 additional classrooms.

To prepare for this influx of students, the Board of Education authorized administrators Tuesday night to form a Demographic Task Force that will study and propose solutions to the district’s rapidly expanding enrollment, specifically at the elementary level, according to a news release.

“Lindbergh’s enrollment is the highest it has been in several years and is continuing to grow,” board President Vic Lenz stated in the release. “As we see this major growth in our near future, it is our responsibility to do what is best for children by finding solutions that protect class sizes and create more space for elementary students.”

Data show that the district’s residential enrollment grew by 569 students, to a current total of 5,928, from 2007-2008 to 2012-2013. Lindbergh has been the No. 1 school district for academic achievement in Missouri for three consecutive years, and as a result, families are moving to the district in droves, according to the release.

The Demographic Task Force will bring together community members, Lindbergh staff and parents to explore this growth, especially at the elementary level, and propose a solution to address growing class sizes and the need for additional teachers.

Sappington Elementary School will grow to more than 600 students in 2013-2014, and Concord and Long are not far behind. In addition, all of the classrooms built with Prop R 2008 funds have been filled.

The board purchased Dressel School, which sits on 10 acres of land, in July 2011. Dressel has helped manage growth to this point, providing needed space for programs such as Lindbergh Eager Achievers Program, or LEAP, for gifted students, Parents as Teachers and the District Activities Office. This fall, Lindbergh Early Childhood Education part-day classes will move there as well.

“Making the decision to purchase Dressel when it became available was both wise and necessary,” Superintendent Jim Simpson stated in the release. “Dressel has served as a valuable relief valve for several programs that benefit students and families. Those programs are not going away.”

While some new homes are being built, such as the Grant’s View development at Gravois and Musick, many families are moving into existing homes that have been sold by owners without school-age children. As a result, the majority of new students do not bring any additional revenue with them, the release stated. Funding for additional students is another issue the task force will address. Ninety-two percent of Lindbergh’s revenue is composed of local taxes.