Haines School. (Emily Files)

Haines School. (Emily Files)

After several years of declining enrollment, student numbers are up in the Haines School District.

The school board created a budget for this year based on a projected student count of 252. But preliminary numbers from October’s student count shows enrollment is well above that, at 277.

Haines Interim Superintendent Rich Carlson says that is much more than the district anticipated. He calls it a ‘complete reversal’ from the downward trend enrollment followed since 2008. Last year, there were 268 students.

Carlson says one student population that grew significantly this year is the correspondence/homeschool group, from nine to 19 students. That can include students who take just one or two Haines district courses.

Fifteen more students than anticipated will mean more funding for the Haines School District, based on the per-student allocation school districts recieve from the state.

But first, the state needs to verify preliminary enrollment numbers before they are finalized and funds are allocated.

Skagway School District enrollment also increased this year — to more than 100 for the first time since 2008. Read more here.