Tri-City United reports strong start to school year; preschool enrollment, safety measures and facility upgrades noted

Tri-City United School District administrators on Tuesday told the school board the 2025–26 school year is off to a solid start, citing steady overall enrollment, rising preschool participation at some sites, new playground work funded by a foundation grant, and safety measures at the high school that district leaders say have reduced vaping incidents.

Administrators reported total district enrollment of 1,856 students this fall, compared with 1,836 at the same point last year. Lane (Community Education) said the district’s Little Titans preschool program — which began Sept. 8 — is serving about 150 students across sites. He gave site-level counts: La Center is down slightly year-over-year but picked up six students from a Head Start program that closed; Montgomery is serving 52 preschool students; and Lonsdale is serving 68.

"It's kind of a good problem to have," Lane said, referring to high demand for wrap care in Lonsdale where some days exceed licensed group sizes and staff are using alternative spaces and rotational coverage to meet demand.

Why it matters: enrollment trends and early-childhood capacity affect the district's revenue and staffing needs; administrators…