Princeton ISD celebrated a milestone today with the 10,000th student enrolling in the district.

Cavero “C.J.” Dunbar arrived at Green Elementary School Nov. 4, and he joined students in Jenna Trim’s 3rd-grade homeroom for his first day of classes.

C.J. was even walked to class with celebrity guides, members the Princeton Panther marching band, as he carried his 10K balloons.

Superintendent Donald McIntyre was on-hand for the special event to welcome the new student, who beat out 17 other newcomers since Friday as the No. 10,000 enrollee.

The rest of the student population on campus, as well as the office staff, welcomed all the fanfare today and took advantage of the music and special guests for hugs and high-fives.

Officially, as of Nov. 4, the district’s enrollment sits at 10,011, compared to 8,701 on this same day in 2023 – a difference of 1,310 students.

Because of this unprecedented growth explosion in PISD, C.J. wasn’t alone at Green as a newcomer this week. He was joined by Kyrie Jackson, Moukib Jaffer, Royal Davis, Mekhi Ashton and Korey Summerville, who all moved to Princeton from other areas of the North Texas metroplex this week.

On the first day of school, Green Elementary had 427 students. As of Nov. 4, there are now 498.

“This campus opened with fewer students than most when the year started for this very reason,” Mr. McIntyre said. “The surrounding neighborhood is currently experiencing the most growth in the district, as well as James, our other new campus to the south.”

Fortunately, the PISD school board recently authorized the district to hire staff as needed to accommodate the additional students, so classrooms can maintain the mandated teacher-to-student ratios across the district.

“Although this rapid growth brings with it a few challenges, getting to celebrate our students is always a special occasion,” Mr. McIntyre said. “Seeing the smiles is a favorite part of my job.”