Watford City Schools are ‘off and running’ with approximately 100 new students
M.K. French
Farmer Staff Writer
McKenzie County Public Schools have officially welcomed around 100 new students this school year, with enrollment reaching 2,378 as of its statewide “count day” on September 10. The new numbers signal continued growth for the district, which has been working to accommodate a steady influx of students.
Superintendent Dr. Steve Holen noted that while the state’s official count will come later in September or October, the current numbers provide a clear picture of the district’s trajectory. “We’ve got 2,378 students as of today,” Holen said. “That compares to the last day of school last year with 2,283, so that gives a little bit of context.” This represents an increase of 95 students since the end of the previous school year. When comparing the current numbers to last year’s average attendance of 2328, Holen said the district has about “50 more kids on average than we had last year.”
The growth is attributed to more students moving into the district than leaving. “We had 138 kids transferred out of the district this year over the summer,” Holen explained, “and we brought in 186 new kids, not including kindergarten.” This results in a net gain of 48 students for grades 1 through 12, not accounting for the incoming kindergarten class.
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