As the school year began Sept. 4, enrollment surged by 123 students at George Mason High School according to preliminary counts. An official enrollment report will be provided the final day of the month to allow time for sorting of new and leaving students. But the enrollment burst has been unmistakeable, and the Falls Church School System’s website quotes George Mason’s Registrar, Beth Bird, saying, “The (U.S. News World Report) ratings in the newspaper made parents want to make sure their children were put into the best schools. Normally, a few days after the rankings come out, parents call the school to get more information. This year, as soon as the rankings came out, the phone was ringing.”