Berkeley base schools suffer declining enrollments.

Byline: WARREN WISE

Decrease comes as other institutions in the district show an increase in student ranks

While the Berkeley County School District struggles to find money to build new schools for surging student populations in parts of the county, it may soon be consolidating other schools because of declining student enrollment.

Three district schools that cater to military families at the Charleston Naval Weapons Station in Goose Creek have 27 percent fewer students than they did three years ago, District Secondary Schools Supervisor Dave Barrow said.

Marrington Middle and Men Riv and Marrington elementaries have 763 students altogether, Berkeley Elementary Schools Supervisor David Owens said. In May 2001, they enrolled 1,049 students.

"It's a continuous three-year decline, and that bothers us greatly," Barrow said.

The decreasing number of students at the base schools comes as district-wide enrollment …