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Williston High reports enrollment growth, improved interim scores and expanded CTE and dual‑credit options
Summary
Williston High School staff told the school board the high school’s enrollment is rising, interim math and ACT indicators have improved after targeted interventions, and career and technical education and dual‑credit participation have grown.
Williston High School Principal Audrey Larson told the Williston Basin School District 7 board on Feb. 3 that the school is serving 1,356 students this year and is projected to enroll about 1,429 next year.
Larson said the school’s smallest class is the senior class, which she identified as 301 students, and the freshman class is the largest at about 385. “We are growing and we will continue to grow,” Larson said.
The principal and data lead Mark Hennig credited several targeted changes for improved interim assessment results. Hennig said the school reduced the share of freshmen failing Algebra I from nearly 40% a few years ago to roughly a quarter this winter after adding intervention time and restructuring who takes particular sections of courses. “Through some of these changes… the number of students failing algebra 1 has dropped dramatically,” Hennig said.
Larson said the school is encouraging dual‑credit and distance education options. She reported about 445 dual‑credit enrollments this spring and 154 students taking courses through the North Dakota Center for Distance Education. She also said 654 students made the semester one honor roll.
On attendance and transportation, Larson and board members discussed limits created by families with one vehicle and other barriers. Larson said the district has added an attendance liaison who speaks Spanish and has connected with bilingual families. Board member Jamie Judd and others pressed for details; Superintendent Dr. Jermison and administrators said the district recently procured five additional buses and is preparing drivers and required equipment to expand routes.
Other items Larson highlighted included 12 new course offerings this year (creative writing, mythology, advanced art, a CAD course through NDSCS, blueprint reading), growth in ACT participation for juniors, and school efforts on student recognition and teacher‑led professional development. Assistant and program leads described freshman team structures, a Coyote Crew advisory program, and a Del Easton alternative program that has expanded from capacity for 24 students to roughly 40–50 as of January, with recent small graduations.
Board members recognized improvements while noting ongoing challenges, especially in math and attendance. Larson and Hennig said the district is tracking preliminary interim data ahead of the NDA Plus summative assessment this spring and expects to use those results to refine interventions.
The presentation concluded with board praise for staff work and a reminder that transportation and absenteeism remain priorities for follow up.
