Local school enrollment holding steady

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Despite being an aging community, according to a report from the Economic Analysis Division of the Wyoming Department of Administration and Information, Newcastle and Weston County School District No. 1 maintained enrollment numbers the past two years, according to enrollment information recently provided by the district. 
Out of the 6,967 people living in Weston County in 2018 only 1,447 of those individuals were under the age of 18, according to the report. The report goes on to show that people under the age of 18 living in the county has steadily decreased since 2010.
The same release reported that the median age of Weston County residents is currently 44.6 with a statewide median of 38. 
Keeping a steady stream of students coming through a district is important, said Superintendent Brad LaCroix. But an increase in student enrollment would be much more welcome, he said. 
According to LaCroix, a growing school district represents a healthy community with young families. He also said that more families are choosing public education over homeschooling their children. 
“We would always like to see our numbers grow,” LaCroix said. 
Tina Chick, chairwoman of the district’s board of trustees, agreed with LaCroix, saying that it’s good to have steady numbers but officials would really like to see an increase in enrollment instead. 
“We have kids moving out of the district, but others coming in,” Chick said. 
That’s good for overall numbers, LaCroix said, but it brings about other concerns. 
“We are still concerned about transitional students coming through the district,” LaCroix said. “These kids are moving to three-plus schools a year, and that can be very hard on the young people.”
Funding is determined by the number of students enrolled in a district, LaCroix said, so higher enrollment numbers means more money to operate the schools. 
The district has a current enrollment of 810 students, with 391 in the elementary school, 182 students in the middle school and 237 in the high school. Student numbers in the middle school and high school decreased from the 2018-19 school year, while the elementary school’s enrollment has increased by 10. 
Class sizes range from 49 to 74, with two of the largest grades being in the elementary school.