USD 428 Superintendent Khris Thexton says the numbers are “very preliminary” but enrollment is down in most public school buildings in Great Bend for 2018-2019. The official enrollment numbers are not submitted until later in September, and Thexton says many students wait until the last day to enroll.
Overall, K-12 in USD 428 has 2,625 students enrolled, down 173 from the previous year.
Khris Thexton Audio
The enrollment numbers this year were compared to the numbers from last year’s September 20th count, approximately a five-week difference. USD 428 held their enrollment sessions at school sites August 7-8 with online enrollment for returning students open since the middle of July.
Thexton added the online enrollment has helped the school buildings out with less people coming through and was asked if the district would remove the 3.5 percent fee for the online portion to get more families to enroll on the internet.
Khris Thexton Audio
The preliminary numbers at Great Bend High School had 784 students, with 95 yet to enroll. Great Bend Middle School was up from 411 last year to 450 this year. All the grade schools combined totaled 1,391, down from 1,502 last year.
Enrollment Numbers:
Riley: 291
Eisenhower: 285
Lincoln: 290
Jefferson: 285
Park: 240
Middle School: 450
High School: 784