Flathead County school enrollment is up 1 percent from last year with a total of 15,463 students attending public, private and home schools.

This is an increase of 123 students from last year based on enrollment data as of Oct. 6 compiled by the Flathead County superintendent of schools and released in the 2014 Statistical Report of Schools this month.

Public elementary schools had a 1 percent increase (83 students) compared to 2013 for the county’s 19 kindergarten through eighth-grade districts. There are 13,786 students enrolled in public schools.

Seven private elementary schools and home schools also increased 1 percent from last year and surpassed the public school’s student increase with 108 more students. Approximately 1,677 students attend private and home schools.

The county’s four public high schools increased overall by 1 percent (32 students) from last year, while four private high schools and home schools experienced a decrease of 5 percent (17 students).

“I think we’re bouncing back from the recession,” Flathead County Superintendent of Schools Marcia Sheffels said, although she noted some communities are still experiencing residual effects from the economy’s downturn.

In the past decade, public and private elementary and high schools together had a 3 percent increase (432 students).

Growth was significant in public elementary districts. From 2005 to 2014, enrollment in public elementary schools was 7 percent growth (646 students). Private elementary schools and home schools were not far behind with a 6 percent increase (634 students).

In the past decade public high schools sustained a 4 percent decrease (169 students) overall.

The Kalispell high school district was the only one to grow at 13 percent (312 students).

Private high schools and home schools decreased 9 percent (33 students), but Stillwater Christian School and home schools experienced growth of 9 percent (nine students) and 8 percent (nine students) respectively.

Student numbers continue to increase at West Valley School, which is currently undergoing a $6.8 million expansion to accommodate growth.

In 2013, West Valley Superintendent Cal Ketchum said the district had grown an average of 5 percent a year over the past 11 years. According to the 2014 report, enrollment grew by 6 percent, or 31 students. The decade has brought 208 additional students to the district, an increase of 56 percent.

The Kalispell elementary district, which recently purchased 25 acres for the site of a future elementary school to accommodate growth, experienced a slight decrease of 1 percent (17 students).

Superintendent Mark Flatau said the decrease was primarily at the middle school level. Over the past decade, enrollment in the elementary district has grown by 19 percent (479 students).

Enrollment was steady at Whitefish High School. Principal Kerry Drown said he thinks this means enrollment is finally stabilizing.

Whitefish High School has sustained a 31 percent enrollment decrease (228 students) over the past decade. A new school building opened this year and Drown hopes to retain students and increase enrollment with the new state-of-the art facilities and specialized programs.

“We would certainly like to see it grow, that’s our vision, our hope and our expectation,” Drown said.

Currently 79 Whitefish students attend out-of-district high schools. The bulk of those students — 48 — are attending Glacier High School and nine are attending Flathead High School according to Kalispell Public Schools administration.

The full report including out-of-district attendance, expenditures and levy information is available at https://flathead.mt.gov/schools.

New this year is a third official enrollment count, which took place this month in addition to an October and February count. Adding a third count should add to the accuracy of figuring a district’s “average number belonging,” Sheffels said.

That number is used to determine state funding for schools.

A three-year average will be put into a formula to determine per-student funding in each district, allowing districts to budget for the upcoming year.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.