Enrollment picture improves in Sisters schools

Total enrollment numbers in Sisters School District are showing improvement after several years of decline.

As of October 7, enrollment stood at 1,109 ADM (average daily membership), which is up by a handful from 1,099 at the end of the 2014-15 school year and exceeds the district's projections for this year by 72 ADM.

Since state funding is tied to student numbers, the improvement is a welcome sign that the bleeding of the past several years may have stopped.

Sisters Elementary School (SES) and Sisters Middle School (SMS) are both down very slightly - SES by four ADM and SMS by 1.5 ADM. The numbers vary widely at Sisters Elementary School, with third grade up by 10 and first grade down by 19. Each grade has more students than were projected.

At the high school, each class is up in numbers from end-of-year last year except the junior class (11th grade), which is down by 21.5. Even that class, however, has seven more students than projected.

The numbers are not cause for celebration, yet. Enrollment is essentially flat between this year and last. But given the dire trends since the recession hit in 2008, holding steady is being taken as a good sign that the health of the district and the community at large is being restored.