Though down from 2022, public school enrollment is up over the past decade

Public schools in Flathead County overall saw a negligible -1% decrease in enrollment compared to 2022 with a total enrollment of 15,173 kindergarten through 12-graders.

The decreases largely occurred at the K-8 level. Most public high schools in the valley experienced enrollment increases.

But a look at enrollment over the past decade shows that all public schools have undergone a 10% increase, which translates to an additional 1,387 students across grade levels. 

The data comes from the 2023 Statistical Report of Schools. The annual report, compiled by the office of the Flathead County Superintendent of Schools, uses numbers from an official fall enrollment count taken each year in October. Enrollment counts are significant because they determine how much state funding school districts receive to educate each student. More students equate to more money for schools.

Of the total, 10,379 students attend an elementary or middle school. That is -167 fewer students — a 2% decrease — compared to last year. Despite the decrease, the decade has brought in 880 more students to the valley’s elementary and middle schools, representing a 9% increase.

One elementary district that reached a decade high in K-8 enrollment is Whitefish at 1,325 students, according to the report. Over 10 years, Muldown Elementary and Whitefish Middle School gained 230 students, a 21% increase.

Compared to last year, the schools added 22 more students, a 2% increase. Whitefish Superintendent Dave Means said the year-to-year growth has been manageable at Muldown, which was replaced with a larger building, about 93,000 square feet, that opened in 2020. 

“Muldown has stayed relatively consistent over that time [10 years],” Means said. “Where we’re seeing more growth is at the middle school and high school level.”

This year, the largest class, according to the report, is seventh grade with 180 students. The smallest class size is kindergarten at 121. Means gave an example of how growth can change over time by looking at a cohort of students. He said one cohort made up of 119 kindergartners are currently high school freshmen in a class of 186 students.

If the middle school continues to grow, he said there is an option to turn the school district offices, located at the school, into classrooms.

“In 2021, we did an enrollment and facilities committee review and the highest priority was at the high school followed closely by the middle school,” Means said.

Even slight changes in enrollment can impact smaller school districts in a big way.

Marion School also reached a decade-high enrollment with 179 K-8 students. This is an increase of 16 students, or 10%. Over 10 years, the rural school district absorbed 75 more students, a 72% increase.

In November, Marion was unsuccessful in passing an $8.2 million bond issue for an expansion project. In a September Daily Inter Lake article, Marion Principal Julia Maxwell said the school was built for 100 students. Total enrollment stands at 179 students. 

She said the school accommodated growth in the lower grades this year by creating a combination first- and second-grade classroom. In addition to affecting classrooms, increasing enrollment puts a strain on multipurpose spaces such as the cafeteria/gym, and student bathrooms, which double as locker rooms at Marion.

    Students work on a math worksheet in Mandy Briney's first-grade classroom at West Valley School on Tuesday, Dec. 12. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

“This used to be a sort of bedroom community with a lot of lake lovers and older folks because it was more of a vacation area. Those houses are all selling to families now,” Maxwell said in September.

Although West Valley School’s enrollment remained stable from last year, the decade has brought in 183 more students, a 32% increase. Total enrollment is 760 K-8 students, according to the report.

As the previous elementary principal, West Valley Interim Superintendent Richard Gross spoke to the growth he has seen at the elementary level.

“In six years, we’ve added six classrooms,” Gross said. “We have teachers teaching in conference rooms.”

This year, he said there was a lot of growth in third and fourth grade, enough to create an extra third-grade section for a total of five classes. 

“It not only affects class sizes but also coordinating lunch and scheduling recess on the playground,” Gross said. “It becomes harder to have more kids in the gym at one time.”

He also noted that West Valley has 145 students who live within the district attending private school, being home schooled or going to other out-of-district public schools. He said that would create a new issue if they chose to attend West Valley. On the other hand, 59 out-of-district students currently attend West Valley.

The school underwent a major expansion that added 15 classrooms in roughly 35,000 square feet of new construction, opening in 2015. It filled faster than expected. To keep pace with growth, in 2021, the district constructed an outbuilding on a portion of the playground behind the school to create two classrooms for music and science, technology, engineering and math instruction to free up classrooms in the main building.

In 2022, the district unsuccessfully tried to pass a $27.3 million bond issue to build a new middle school at a new location and turn the existing building into an elementary school. Gross said there are no upcoming plans to run a bond issue. Instead the district is focused on maintaining the general budget to cover the costs of educating students. 

Administrators see the growth coming from people moving into the area from other states and new residential developments. Over time, more apartment complexes, versus single-family homes, have been built within the boundaries of the once rural West Valley School District. And with high housing costs, Gross is seeing multiple families living together in one household.

Kalispell Public Schools, which has grappled with overcrowding in its elementary schools for years and opened its sixth elementary school in 2018, experienced a -2% decrease in grades K-8. This translates to 57 fewer students. But enrollment over the past decade shows 40 more students, a 1% increase.

    Students work on laptops in Haylee Blanchard's second-grade STEM classroom at West Valley School on Tuesday, Dec. 12. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

THERE ARE 4,794 students attending public high schools in the valley. Compared to 2022, that is a 2% increase of 72 students. 

Over 10 years, the county’s high schools accommodated 507 more students, a 12% increase. As the largest high school district in Flathead County, Kalispell’s two high schools combined absorbed 305 of those students, an 11% increase. However, compared to 2022, Kalispell’s high school enrollment remained stable. 

Bigfork High School is the only district to experience a negligible decrease.

Percentage-wise Whitefish High School topped the valley’s six high schools with a 9% increase, adding 51 students. Over 10 years, Whitefish High School’s enrollment increased by 28% or 140 students.

Means said the high school continues to be creative in accommodating growth with 25 teachers sharing classrooms. Classes are also being held in the remodeled old Muldown building. Growth does create scheduling conflicts with limitations on how many students can take electives, such as culinary arts and shop, for example. The independent high school has also outgrown its space.

Whitefish School District was unsuccessful in passing a $33.7 million bond issue this year to expand the high school and athletic facilities. Holding another bond election is still on the table for the district, which surveyed voters in November to guide future discussions. The survey received a response from 289 registered voters in Whitefish.

Forty-one percent of respondents said they would vote “yes” on a bond issue to fund the school expansion and an activities complex concept reduced in scope from the previous proposal. Thirty-nine percent said they would vote “no” and 20% were unsure.

The survey also asked how respondents would vote if separate bond elections were held — one for the school expansion only and one for the activities complex. In this scenario, 57% of respondents said they would vote “yes” on a bond issue to fund the current school expansion. Forty-six percent responded they would vote “yes” in a separate election to fund the activities complex if it was reduced in scope.

Although growth remains a concern, Means said it’s also an exciting time.

“We have increased participation in our courses and activities,” Means said. “Our schools are growing and thriving.” 

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.