The Iola school district has 28 fewer students this year, part of a trend of declining enrollment in the district and the Southeast Kansas region overall.
Superintendent Stacey Fager discussed the latest enrollment numbers after the official count was conducted in September.
It shows a total of 1,051 students districtwide, down from 1,079 last year.
Much of that loss comes
from the difference between graduating seniors and incoming kindergarteners.
Last year were 102 graduate graduating senioers.
That loss was only partially offset by 81 kindergarten students. Officially, the district shows 94 kindergarten students but some of those are preschool students who are able to be counted because of their age.
“We have some numbers, historically, quite a bit lower,” Fager said. “Unless we have an influx of people, it will continue. The county is showing a decline in population and this follows that trend.”
The numbers range from a low of 64 students in first grade to a high of 91 in fifth grade.
Numbers follow:
Year 20-21 21-22
K 76 94 (81 actual)
1st 81 64
2nd 77 74
3rd 69 81
4th 89 70
5th 66 91
6th 92 67
7th 81 88
8th 100 83
9th 88 90
10th 72 87
11th 86 79
12th 102 83
Total: 1,079 1,051
