School enrollment down slightly to start the year

By CHRIS PETERSON

Hungry Horse News

Columbia Falls school enrollment is down slightly over last year at this time.

Total enrollment at the start of school was 2,216, down 19 from the end of school last year, but down just eight students from the start of school last year.

The biggest drop was at Ruder Elementary, where enrollment at the end of the last school year was 538 but was 493 this September. 

At Glacier Gateway enrollment dipped from 488 to 469. The junior high was up from 536 to 554. The high school was up, too, at 700, up from 673 at the end of last year. 

It is important to note that the enrollment numbers in October, after the district sees transfers and other circumstances iron out, are considered official.

But the early numbers do give the district a snapshot into trends and the number of students can fluctuate dramatically from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.

For example, in September 2023, Ruder enrollment was 496, it ended the year at 538.

In September 2023, the high school was 710. It ended the year at 673.

This year, the big enrollment shift to date has been in the kindergarten class. 

At Ruder, kindergarten at the end of last year, was 80. At the start of this year, it was 54. (It was 54 at the start of last year as well, so things can obviously change as the year goes on.)

At Glacier Gateway, the same thing – it started out at 72 last year, shot up to 92 by the end of the year, and then dropped back down to 72 this year.

Affordability could also be at play. Families with young children are having a tougher and tougher time finding affordable housing, school officials have noted in the past.