Columbia Falls student numbers up

School District 6 enrollment at the elementary level is holding steady with 440 at Ruder Elementary and 495 at Glacier Gateway. Superintendent Steve Bradshaw said there is no more classroom space in either school at this point — even classrooms in the administrative annex at Gateway are full.

The school considered expanding Ruder earlier this year, but shortly thereafter, Weyerhaeuser announced it was shutting down two lumber mills in Columbia Falls, which all but halted the discussion.

The school still owns Canyon Elementary School in Hungry Horse, but Bradshaw said the district would need about 100 Canyon-area students to make it economically viable to reopen the school. Right now, the district has about 50 to 60 students who get bussed from the Canyon to Columbia Falls.

He also noted that bussing students from Columbia Falls back to Hungry Horse wouldn’t prove popular with parents here. The district keeps the Canyon School open for various community functions in Hungry Horse, including a health clinic, monthly free meals and other services.

Enrollment at the junior high this year is 485 and 644 at the high school, which is up from 476 and 613 respectively last year. All told, total enrollment is 2,087, up 50 students from last year.

On the rural schools front, Deer Park has robust numbers this fall. Principal Dan Block said enrollment is up again this year, with a waiting list for some grades. Deer Park had about 125 students last year and will have about 138 to 140 this fall.

Deer Park is considering adding another building to accommodate students. They have an architectural firm doing conceptual drawings and will look for public input in the coming months, Block said.