After the start of another school year the Dickinson Public School District (DPS) added three more students to their enrollment numbers bringing the total addition of students in the district to five.
The initial figures after the first day of school on Aug. 23 saw only two students added to the district for this school year while the most recent report added three more.
This is the third year in a row the district has seen more students enroll at the start of the school year when compared to what was projected, but the first increase in enrollment since 1995.
Superintendent Paul Stremick received positive comments from all school principals about this year's enrollment and the school board was thrilled to see additional enrollees coming to the district.
Business manager Vince Reep said the district picked up 63 more students from what was projected.
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One of the biggest differences in enrollment numbers between this year and last year was first graders, with 18 more enrolled than expected.
Migration of students into DPS was also better than expected with a total of 163 transfers of students, 57 coming from within the state, 64 from out of state, 27 within the city and 15 agency related placements.
Numbers are from the district's enrollment report which does not reflect all part-time students such as home school band students.
Most in-state transfers came from Richardton-Taylor and Twin Buttes while most in-city transfers came from Trinity East Elementary School. Outside the state, the district saw the most students, 13 coming from Montana.
Outward migration indicated 109 total transfers out of DPS with 45 of those being within the state to places such as Bismarck and South Heart.
"Surprisingly, Dickinson has a fairly migrant population," Reep said. "People are coming here for opportunities to work, which are spread all over the employer market with no certain pattern."
Work opportunities with the district continue to change as four staff positions remain vacant for this year.
Nancy Kostelecky filled the last licensed staff position, the home education supervisor, working part-time.
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Otherwise a bus driver position, paraprofessional position for Heart River Elementary School and two playground supervisor positions for Jefferson Elementary School remain open.
Also Monday evening, the school board approved an extracurricular cooperative agreement with Trinity High School in girl's hockey. Athletic director Calvin Dean said the co-op would give Dickinson two or three more players for the team.
The school board finished their meeting by briefly discussing the Oct. 9 and Nov. 14 board workshops coming up.
Suggested topics include an independent review of the block schedule by a neutral party, all-day everyday kindergarten, moving grade six to P.S. Berg Elementary or Hagen Junior High schools and other topics.
"Board workshops give us an opportunity to discuss future agenda items without making any decisions," school board president Dean Rummel said. "They prepare us and we've been conducting them a long time, ever since I've been on the board."
