Silver Valley Schools’ Enrollment Stays Steady Kellogg Joint School District Posts Second Straight Increase

Although rural North Idaho school districts predict a loss of students in the next decade, this year’s enrollment levels have remained steady in the Silver Valley.

The Kellogg Joint School District has 20 more students than last year for a total of 1,471 children.

Although that number could fluctuate in the next few weeks, Superintendent Greg Godwin said it’s a good sign.

“Any growth is certainly welcome,” Godwin said Thursday.

This is the second year Kellogg has seen an increase in students.

“We are beginning to have the sentience of a bedroom community where a lot of people working in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene are commuting to the Silver Valley to live,” he said.

That means although unemployment is on the rise and many families are going outside the area in search of work, students are remaining in the local schools.

Two more students are attending the Wallace School District so far this year. Although this number could change in the next weeks, Superintendent Reid Straabe is thankful. He was expecting a decrease in student population.

The district’s population totals 656 students. Straabe said a recent study predicts that total will decrease to 500 students in the next five years.

“I’m happy to see we maintained,” he said.

That’s not the case for the neighboring Mullan School District, which lost some student population.

Business Manager Gayle Goodsen didn’t have exact enrollment totals for this week.

The St. Maries Joint School District has lost 74 students so far this year, bringing its total to 1,187 students.

The area’s larger school districts have seen increases in student populations and may have to request supplemental cash to make up for the extra pupils.

The Coeur d’Alene School District had 9,208 students enrolled Thursday. That’s up 99 students since last year.

The Post Falls School District, one of the fastest-growing areas in North Idaho, has 177 more students so far this year for a total enrollment of 4,332 students.

It will also seek supplemental money.

The Plummer/Worley School District is expanding by about 2.5 percent for a total of 573 students.

The Lakeland School District is down about 23 students so far this year.

Lakeland Assistant Superintendent Ron Schmidt said the district didn’t hit peak attendance until November last year, so he expects more students to register in the next week.

The Lake Pend Oreille School District has seen 84 fewer students this year. But Tari Smith, districtwide school office coordinator, said schools are counting actual students who are attending class, not just those registered as in previous years, so the numbers are a bit skewed.

Boundary County School District is down seven students for a total of 1,684.

SCHOOL ENROLLMENT Post Falls numbers

The Post Falls School District, one of the fastest-growing areas in North Idaho, has 177 more students so far this year for a total enrollment of 4,332 students.