Student enrollment numbers at Weiser schools are down from last year

The early enrollment numbers after the second week of classes in the Weiser School District show a decrease compared to the end of the school year in May.
 As of Sept. 3 total student enrollment stands at 1,478 students. This is a decrease of 72 students compared to May’s enrollment which ended with 1,550 students.
 This year’s student numbers has not reached the lowest historic number but is one of the lowest the district has seen in quite some time.
 The 30-year average enrollment in the Weiser School District is 1,600 students. The district reached that number for the first time since the 2010-11 school year in 2018. Weiser’s population trend has been up in student numbers over the past few years.
 The district lost a few students, some to home school or other online curriculum and a couple to other school districts.
 “It is a pretty low number for us. We expected to lose some kids due to the COVID-19 situation,” said Superintendent of Schools Wade Wilson. “We have experienced some student movement. We graduated about 120 students last spring and only received 98 kindergarten students this year.”.
 A breakdown of the early enrollment numbers shows preschool with 10 students, kindergarten 97, first grade 85, second grade 98, third 101, fourth 104, fifth 98, sixth 99, seventh 105, eighth 125, ninth 144, 10th 154, 11th 135 and 12th 123. These numbers also include students who are receiving their lessons online.
 Student enrollment in the lower grades is low but the upper grades are pretty high, especially at the high school level.
 Indianhead Academy, the alternative high school in the district, has enrolled 15 students this fall.
 The School District opened up the current school year slowly using a blended learning model. Half of the students attend school on Monday and Tuesday, the other half on Thursday and Friday and all students are distance learning on Wednesdays.
 Due to COVID-19, students last spring went on spring break and the decision was made that they would not return and all lessons will be handled through distance learning.  
 With the start of the new school year and the use of a blended learning plan, administrators and staff had to address the challenges of getting students accustomed to new routines, schedules and expectations, Wilson said.
 “Blended learning is new and different for everybody, and our staff has done a wonderful job implementing measures in each of our buildings that are intended to mitigate opportunities for the spread of COVID-19 within our school population,” Wilson said.
 There were no changes in staffing made prior to the opening of school. The school board budgeted for the staff already in place figuring that the student numbers will grow throughout the year
 Student enrollment dictates how much funding school districts receive from the state. Typically funding is figured on average daily attendance but the State Board of Education recently passed a temporary rule that will allow school districts to be funded based on enrollment.
 School districts receive state funding based on units. The district finished the 1999/2000 school year with 81.5 units. A unit generally brings around $100,000 in state funding.
 “We will definitely see decreased funding this year,” said Wilson.
 The school board budgeted for a deficit spending and will probably have to dip into the fund balance to get through the year.
 “The wisdom of our school board to ensure that we have a fund balance each year really makes a huge difference in years like this,” Wilson added.
 “Based on how we finish the year will determine how we have to approach next year. How deep we have to cut,” said Wilson.