Cheyenne Schools See Enrollment Increase

Laramie County School District #1 will see a slight increase in enrollment for the 2016-2017 school year, according to a district official.

Dr. Tracy KInney, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, says that although the numbers aren't final yet it looks like about 65 more students are enrolled in classes compared to this time last year, with the bulk of the increase coming in the lower grades.

Kinney says the increase is both good news and bad news.

She says it is positive in the sense that the district will garner more state funding, since districts are reimbursed by the state on the basis of student enrollment. She says in a broader sense the increase also shows Cheyenne's economy is doing fairly well, attracting more young families to the workforce.

That isn't the case in many areas of the state, where school districts are expecting enrollment declines because people are moving away due to a lack of jobs.

But Kinney says on the downside the increase presents a continuing challenge in terms of classroom space and other resources for students. That isn't a new problem however, as the district has consistently seen enrollment increases over the last few years, and in most years the increase has larger than 65 students.

In fact she says the total enrollment has increased by about 1,000 students over the last five years, or "about three elementary schools."

She says it looks like the total enrollment this year will be right around 13,888 students in LCSD#1