Alexandria (web|news) Public Schools have seen a surge in students--the most they have seen it ten years.

Kathleen Lovain, a parent at George Mason Elementary, says the average class size "seems kind of small this year," but appearances can be deceiving.

In fact, Alexandria City Public schools say they are now dealing with 500 more students this year, and a number of school officials say that number will only grow even larger from now until November, a month that traditionally has the highest enrollment.

"We're watching the numbers carefully. We've been very quick to add the classrooms where we need them. We have other classes that we're monitoring and as soon as we need to add a teacher we will," said, Amy Carlini, of Alexandria City Schools.

School officials say there's not one specific reason for the increase, but point to the economy. They say gas prices and the high foreclosure rate in Fairfax County (web|news) are forcing families to move to Alexandria. In addition, they say the crackdown on illegal immigration in Prince William County (web|news) is bringing more families to Alexandria.

"That is definitely a concern if class sizes go up," said parent Dorthe Levine. "Where do we put all the students?"

School officials say the largest increases are in kindergarten and eleventh grade, resulting in schools like George Mason Elementary, to add an extra kindergarten class. Other schools are shifting teachers around to match the increased need.

School officials say if enrollment numbers continue to rise, the increase could affect the city's budget for next year.

The school system said it had to pull money from this years budget reserve to hire new teachers and create more classrooms, but officials say the problem could eventually become physical space.