What Are the 2024–25 Columbia Union Enrollment Numbers?

Story by V. Michelle Bernard

At the Board of Education meeting held yesterday in Silver Spring, Md., Donovan Ross, vice president of Columbia Union Conference’s Office of Education, reported there are 7,524 students in Columbia Union’s 79 schools this year.

Ross shared there is one less school in the system than last year, totaling nine stand-alone early childhood education (ECE) centers; 53 elementary schools; six junior academies; nine senior academies; and two schools of higher education. 

Other highlights included: 

--The integration of ECE into the general education policy. Cynthia Poole, union associate director of ECE, reported that all education entities are now officially under one system.

--Poole also noted that while Mountain View Conference is the smallest conference in the North American Division (NAD), they have the highest enrollment in ECE programs not connected to a school.

--The Office of Education continues to focus on developing leadership in their educators. Jacqueline Messenger, union associate director of secondary education, shared that this summer the union hosted a Principal’s Bootcamp focused on strategic planning.

--Weymouth Spence, president of Washington Adventist University, located in Takoma Park, Md., shared that overall enrollment in Seventh-day Adventist higher education in the NAD is slightly up by 1.2 percent, but enrollment challenges continue to face all schools.