District reports stronger-than-expected incoming ninth-grade enrollment; open-enrollment lottery to fill about 316 seats

Assistant Superintendent Jared Rosing presented the district's enrollment update at the May 11 board meeting, saying open enrollment has closed and the district is processing applications for the 2026–27 school year.

Rosing said the district has about 316 open-enrollment seats and roughly 205 applicants; officials will complete a random drawing and notify families in the coming weeks. He described enrollment as "very fluid" at this time of year, with movement expected through the summer as families finalize plans.

The report highlighted stronger-than-expected incoming ninth-grade numbers: Rosing said the district usually sees 30–35 private-school students join at ninth grade but is currently seeing about double that figure, which will make the freshman class larger than in recent years. Clark Street enrollment was reported at 11 pending application processing.

Rosing said Cardinal Academy (programming that allows students with IEPs to remain until age 21) has historically enrolled 12–15 students but is projected "closer to the upper twenties" next year, reflecting a districtwide increase in students with individualized plans. He also noted lower 4K and kindergarten numbers tied to housing costs and local birth-rate trends.

Board members asked whether the increased incoming students would affect open-enrollment seats approved in January; Rosing said the district cannot change the seats approved earlier and instead will accommodate a larger freshman class rather than request additional open-enrollment seats. He said the district is monitoring specific grade levels (including fifth grade at Glacier Creek and some West Middleton grades) and meets weekly to watch enrollment shifts.

What happens next: The district will conduct random placement and notify families, continue weekly enrollment monitoring through summer and report updates to the board as needed.