To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.

Then come back here and refresh the page.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Cumberland County schools are starting to feel the pinch of growth at Fort Bragg. An estimated 2,200 more students are expected to be enrolled in Cumberland County schools by the year 2013 because of that growth.

Educators say they are trying to stay one step ahead of the growth but it's not an easy task.

"They never come in the box as we project,” said Cumberland County Schools Superintendent Dr. Frank Till. “So, we make adjustments and we will be adjusting when we get to the 20 day count."

Schools in counties surrounding Fort Bragg are already starting to experience growing pains.

Ten days after school started, Cumberland county already has 52,107 students enrolled. That's up by 140 from last year. Harnett County has 19,535 students enrolled with 336 more students this year. Moore County is also seeing growth with 12,488 enrolled, which is 208 more than last year.

All three school systems are slightly above projected growth for the new year. Officials say a major contributing factor to this year's growth are soldiers redeploying from Iraq and Afghanistan and their families returning home with them.

"I think the next wave, as they get the headquarters finished, we will start growing rapidly then, I believe," said Dr. Till.

To meet that growth, Cumberland County Schools is projected to need to spend more than $69 million to build new schools. The growth comes at a time when state funding for local education is uncertain. In addition, county leaders are waiting to decide whether to renew their agreement with the school system which guaranteed 53 percent of property taxes will go towards education.

"There are so many unknowns with the economy and what the state legislature will do,” said Sally Shutt, a Cumberland County spokesperson. “So, there may be mandates coming down that the county will have to fund."

School officials say savings will help to fill funding shortfalls.

“We have been fortunate over the last couple of years to bank some of our reserve to keep those reserves up so that we have the contingency," said Dr. Till.

This year's growth is a change from last year when enrollment in Cumberland County schools dropped by 1,000 students. Officials say it is mainly because of a change in enrollment age for kindergarten students.