It could be a sign that our population explosion in the Flathead is ebbing as school enrollment drops for the second year in a row. Across the County, elementary school enrollment drops 1%, or 117-students. Our High Schools are down 3%, or 136-students. If you thought it might be because of private or home schooling..no so. Private and Home Schooling dropped by 26%, or 118-students.
In the elementary district, Kalispell saw neither an increase or decrease, while Columbia Falls dropped 6% and Whitefish grew by 1%. St Matthews School has 68-more students this year, or a 38% increase.
On top of the obvious challenges this brings, here’s another: school funding–which has been challenging enough, is based primarily on enrollment. As the Legislature gavels into session, one of their top priorities will be overhauling the state’s public school funding formula.
