The post-pandemic world is still feeling the long term impact on populations, with a projected 2.8 percent decrease in enrollment at Newton County schools expected by 2031, discussed by the Newton County Board of Education at their meeting last Tuesday. NCS enrollment initially declined from 19,579 in October 2019 to 18,776 in October 2020. Since 2020, the numbers have remained stable, but have not risen to pre-COVID amounts.