By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Enrollment is staying stable for Hays USD 489.
The school reported a head count of 3,070 K-12 students on the official reporting day on Sept. 20, up slightly from just over 3,000 students last year.
The district has 280 students in pre-K programs. Those students are counted differently for budgeting purposes.
"We did see an increase in our enrollment numbers this year, which is always a good thing.," Superintendent Ron Wilson said. "We had 98 new students enroll in our district this year, which is evidence of the great things going on in our schools and the Hays community."
"Families are seeing our district as a place where they want their kids to go to school. We also had an increase of students returning to our district who had previously attended our schools but left for various reasons and have come back."
Hays High School's enrollment was up from 964 students last year on Sept. 20 students to 1,013 this year.
"Our largest class sizes are at the high school right now," Wilson said. "I do think the bond has been a big contributor to the number of new students who have enrolled in our schools this year as well as returning to our district. We look forward to seeing future growth in years to come because of the opportunities that our new facilities will provide."
Hays Middle School enrollment dropped by eight students from 725 to 717 students.
The elementary schools dropped from a combined enrollment of 1,349 students to 1,340 students.
The state bases its funding on enrollment numbers.
However, Wilson said the numbers reported on Sept. 20 were headcount numbers.
The numbers will be audited. The state also has a complicated weighting formal. For instance, the district receives more funding for "at-risk" students who come from low-income families.