By SHARON KILPATRICK

By SHARON KILPATRICK

Rappahannock New* Staff Writer

School enrollment on the first day of school this week outstripped by 10 the estimate used in arriving at the district's budget.

There were 1,020 students in the two public schools on Tuesday, 629 at the elementary school and 391 at the high school. The budget was prepared based on an enrollment of 1,010. Usually enrollment grows for several days, or even months, after the start of school and drops toward the end of the school year.

Because the county government is contributing only the amount required for an enrollment of 1,010, the school will not qualify for additional state funds based on the greater enrollment.

School Superintendent David Gangel told the School Board Tuesday night that he wants to look at numbers, particularly in the kindergarten classes for the first 10 days of school. There are now four sections of kindergarten, and 99 children came Tuesday for kindergarten. Kindergarten classes are supposed to average no more than 25 to a class.

On the other hand, there were 67 children in school Tuesday for first grade in four sections. First grade classes are supposed to average no more than 24.

That could mean that a first grade teacher will be assigned to teach kindergarten as long as no more than five additional students show up for first grade. However, Dr. Gangel said there are more students who were expected to come for first grade who were not in school Tuesday.

Other classes were within the expected ranges for the number of sections in each grade level. The board agreed to hold a special meeting after the first 10 days of school if it is necessary to make changes in teachk ing assignments.

Dk Gangel recommended that the School Board adopt a policy that would ban smoking by staff on school grounds during school hours starting July 1,1993.

He said that the curriculum opposes the use of alcohol and drugs, including tobacco. He added that