District enrollment staff told the Fargo Board of Education that, on the eve of the school year, elementary enrollment overall was close to demographer predictions but kindergarten lagged and several program counts merit monitoring.

Dr. Gross and Missy Adesnes presented the numbers, saying the demographer (RSP) predicted K‑5 enrollment of 5,136 and that, "as of today at 04:47, we have 5,103." Dr. Gross warned that kindergarten is typically the hardest grade to estimate and said the district was "90 students down from what we predicted" in kindergarten specifically. He urged caution because enrollment continues to change in the first weeks of school and the district treats post‑Labor Day counts as more stable.

Nut graf: Accurate early enrollment numbers affect classroom staffing, scheduling and resource allocation. District staff said a shortfall in kindergarten creates uncertainty for staffing and planning and will be monitored closely as families complete registration.

Other specifics presented:
- Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) enrollment started at 149 this year; the district reported ECSE started at 163 at the same time last year.
- The high‑school Virtual Academy had 129 students enrolled, larger than last year’s start; middle‑school virtual numbers were about unchanged.
- There were 25 students who had begun the registration process but had not yet completed required documents and therefore were not included in the official class counts.

Board members asked practical questions: Robin asked when counts stabilize (the district answered: after Labor Day); Holly clarified that the 25 students in registration are not included in the top‑line kindergarten numbers until paperwork is complete; and Greg asked for clarification on labels in the packet (staff answered his chart question). Dr. Gross noted that districts no longer receive direct birth/hospital feeds, which complicates kindergarten forecasting.

Ending: Officials said they will present another enrollment report after Labor Day when numbers are more stable and that they will continue monitoring ECSE and kindergarten registration closely.