More students attending school in Columbia Basin

COLUMBIA BASIN - Enrollment numbers are up in school districts across the Columbia Basin, including Othello, Moses Lake, Quincy and Warden.

Othello had 207 more full-time students in this year's September count than last year. Total full-time enrollment for September was approximately 3,316.

District Superintendent George Juarez explained much of the increase is attributed to the fact that kindergarten students are now counted as full-time students instead of part-time students.

Approximately 62 additional students joined the district, which is more than usual, he said. Typically, the district grows by 30 to 50 full-time students per year.

Moses Lake had a bigger than usual increase in student enrollment, seeing 267 more full-time students in the September count this year.

"It is an unusually high number," confirmed Assistant Superintendent of Business and Operations Monte Redal.

Approximately one hundred additional full-time students are the result of new all-day kindergarten classes, Redal said.

He noted Moses Lake has seen an increase in enrollment nearly every year for the past nine or ten years.

In Quincy, 84 additional full-time students showed up in the September count. Business Manager Chris Martin said the difference is mostly due to the move from part-time kindergarten to all-day kindergarten.

In Warden, the September count of full-time students showed 24 more students than last year.

"We are up significantly for our size district," said Warden School District Superintendent Sandra Sheldon.

Sheldon did not know the reason for the increase in enrollment.

"We do know that we've had several new families come in and register kids," she said.

Growth in Moses Lake due to new industry may be a reason for the student growth in Warden, she said.

"Our class sizes are still OK because they were a little low last year," she noted.

The biggest impact of the increased enrollment has been to Warden's cafeteria, which the district hoped to expand with a bonds proposal earlier in the year. Instead of eating lunch in the cafeteria, sixth grade students are going to be moved for lunch to a commons area in the middle school, Sheldon said.