School district breaks enrollment record

Crook County School District broke its own record for kindergarten enrollment this year, according to statistics released last week by the Wyoming Department of Education.

“As other districts have seen enrollments drop, Crook County School District has not. Our numbers have continued to move upward,” says Mark Broderson, Superintendent.

For the 2021 to 2022 school year, a total of 112 children are attending kindergarten – the highest number since the first available state statistics from 1991.

In that school year, the district reported 96 kids attending kindergarten, dropping to 66 just two years later. Figures jumped backwards and forwards between the mid-60s and high 90s for the rest of the decade.

At the turn of the millennium, kindergarten numbers were even lower. The smallest figure recorded was 55 in the 2003 to 2004 school year.

Enrollment slowly began to grow after that, reaching the 80s and 90s in most years until the end of last decade. The school year of 2015 to 2016 was an anomaly with 111 kids registering in kindergarten – one shy of this year’s record.

Last year, the district welcomed 107 new students to its kindergarten.

Like the number of kindergarteners, school enrollment has been increasing almost every year over the last decade.

“It appears we are seeing growth in the county,” says Broderson. “I hope when people research our schools and investigate it helps them to decide to join our communities.” 

In the 2012 to 2013 school year, Crook County had 1075 enrolled students. This jumped to 1114 the next year and continued to grow in all but three years of the decade.

Thanks to recent construction, says Broderson, for the most part there is room in all of Crook County’s communities for more additions, should the numbers continue to grow.

“We have great teachers in our district and they do a wonderful job with students,” says Broderson. “We’re excited to see our schools remain attractive.”

The Wyoming Department of Education reports that overall fall school enrolment across the state increased by 54 students this year.