Attendance matters. That’s the message superintendents Lance Pearson and Todd Howard want to share now that Silver Valley schools are in full swing.
After years of slow decline, enrollment numbers are beginning to trend upward.
The Kellogg School District reports 1,091 students currently enrolled, 10 more than at the start of last year and 30 more than at the end of the 2024-25 school year.
KSD operates four schools: Canyon Elementary, Pinehurst Elementary, Kellogg Middle School and Kellogg High School.
In the Wallace School District, Howard said 510 students are enrolled this year, 14 more than last year. Wallace’s attendance trends are unique: the current number is higher than the district’s 10-year rolling average but lower than its five-year average. WSD operates Silver Hills Elementary and Wallace Jr./Sr. High School.
The Mullan School District is the only one of the three where enrollment is down. District officials report 85 students enrolled from Pre-K through 12th grade, 11 fewer than last year. Mullan operates John Mullan Elementary and Mullan Jr./Sr. High School.
Idaho funds schools based on an average daily attendance formula. The state covers 60% of each district’s financial need, with the remainder made up through local dollars and federal funds.
All three districts ended last year with attendance rates of 91% or higher. Kellogg, which transitioned from a traditional five-day week to a four-day schedule, saw a more than 4% boost in attendance following the change to finish the 2024-25 year with a 92% attendance rate, according to data from the Idaho Department of Education.
“Enrollment is one small piece of the puzzle, however, because we are funded based on our attendance,” Pearson said. “We will continue to stress the importance of attending school every day for all of our students.”
Howard emphasized the importance of consistent attendance for both student success and district funding.
“Historically, we start the year off with our highest enrollment number and slowly decrease until we get to the end of the school year,” Howard said. “What is more important is our attendance numbers. Kids can only learn if they are in school, and we only get funding for those students who are in school each day.”
To bridge the gap left by the state’s limited funding, districts rely on supplemental levies.
Both Kellogg and Wallace will have replacement supplemental levies on the ballot this November. Mullan has operated under a lifetime levy since it was passed in 2015.