District reports 266 more students this fall; kindergarten enrollment jumps to 761

The St. Cloud Area School District reported a net increase of 266 K–12 students, a 2.9 percent rise from last fall, during its Sept. 17 board meeting. Amy Scalarud, executive director of finance and business services, presented the district’s second Friday count and said elementary enrollment accounted for the bulk of the gain; the district is 223 students higher at the elementary level compared with last fall.

Scalarud and Shannon Avison, executive director of community education and community partnerships, said kindergarten enrollment increased to 761 students (projected 680), a notable gain that contributed substantially to the district’s overall rise. Secondary enrollment showed a smaller net change: middle level rose by 47 students (most at South), while high school enrollment declined by 21.

Avison described the welcome center’s summer intake work: the welcome center enrolled hundreds of new‑to‑district students over the summer (staff clarified during the meeting that the correct figure discussed was 817 new‑to‑district K–12 enrollments, not the earlier misstated “over 1,000”). Of those new‑to‑district students, about 235 were new kindergarteners; many other kindergarteners had been enrolled previously in district preschool programs.

Administrators noted programmatic and counting details that affect comparisons: McKinley alternative site is excluded from the district’s traditional secondary counts because its day‑to‑day enrollment fluctuates; alternative and care‑and‑treatment sites showed increases that also contributed to the overall gain.

Board members asked how the rise affects space, staffing and boundaries. Administration said immediate next steps include monitoring add/drop activity over the coming weeks, reviewing class sizes and schedules, and assessing staffing needs. Two kindergarten teachers were added in August; district officials said further hires could be required depending on continued enrollment shifts. The board’s boundary redesign team is already reviewing space pressures; staff said boundary changes are being considered but no formal boundary change was proposed at the Sept. 17 meeting.

Why this matters: sustained enrollment increases affect staffing costs, classroom configurations, long‑term facility needs and levy calculations because several levy components are tied to enrollment. The district said it will continue to monitor counts and report further updates to the board as staffing and space analyses proceed.

Sources: Enrollment presentation and question period at the Sept. 17, 2025 Board of Education meeting.