Summit School District saw a slight decline in student enrollment for the 2023-24 school year but its numbers are nothing compared to what some districts have seen. 

According to Chief Financial Officer Kara Drake, who presented during a board of education meeting on Jan. 18, the total number of enrolled students this school year is 3,572, down from a projected 3,596 — less than a percentage point decrease or a difference of about 24 students. 

That includes some students who are not full-time, making the full-time funding count lower at 3,417. 

“We projected some decline from last year and then we saw some additional loss of students this year,” Drake said. 

The decrease is minimal compared to what other districts in the state have reported. In metro and Front Range districts, a continued decline in enrollment has led to schools closing down. As of October, Jeffco Public Schools — based in Jefferson County —  has closed 21 schools following shrinking enrollment. 

Statewide, enrollment in preschool through 12th grade is down by 1,800 this school year, its lowest level in a decade, according to state data. Experts have attributed the trend in part to declining birth rates.

Though Summit School District’s enrollment is slightly down, it remains comparable to pre-COVID-19 levels. The pandemic caused a major drop in enrollment in 2021 before rebounding in 2022, according to Drake. 

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The only school this year to gain students was Silverthorne Elementary, which saw seven more students enrolled — a 2% increase. 

Board member Chris Guarino asked what could be driving that, to which Drake responded, “We are seeing a lot of the workforce housing in Silverthorne that is hitting the market right now, and so I think that may be one contributing factor.”

The school is also retaining more students from within its boundaries, which Superintendent Tony Byrd said could be because of its dual-language programming, adding, “People are getting a good feel for the culture of the school, what the school is about.”

Silverthorne Elementary has larger kindergarten class sizes than others in the district. Overall, kindergarten sizes are declining, according to Drake, which will mean a reduced student count at Summit High School in the coming years.

Most schools remain at a manageable capacity, though one, Dillon Valley Elementary, sits at 82% while Frisco and Silverthorne elementary as well as the high school are nearing 80%. Drake said that a school begins to feel crowded around 85% or 90%, something that Guarino, who is also principal for the development group Artaic, echoed. 

“Passing periods are dangerous, you really can’t feed the kids in the time that’s alloted for meals,” he said. “90%, you never want to go past it.”

With district officials eyeing a laundry list of capital improvements that include expansions for some schools, Byrd said officials will be having more in-depth facilities discussions later on in the school year.