Enrollment is on the upswing for many school districts in Union and Wallowa counties.

Local superintendents are reporting that enrollment is up or unchanged for the majority of the school districts, including La Grande.

The La Grande School District has 2,378 students, up at least 16 from 2018-19 when enrollment ranged from 2,340 to 2,366, said Superintendent George Mendoza.

This marks the fourth time in five years La Grande’s enrollment has risen. It was down slightly or virtually unchanged in 2018-19, but the previous three years it was up an average of 65 students a year, according to reports the school district makes to the state each Oct. 1.

Mendoza is encouraged by this trend.

“We always hope to see growth,” he said.

The superintendent said the additional funding the school district will receive as a result of the enrollment increase will help the district to continue to add more services and support for students.

School districts in Oregon receive at least $6,000 from the state per student.

Enrollment is also up in the Elgin, Imbler, Union, Joseph, Troy and Wallowa school districts.

Elgin experienced the biggest percentage increase of any Union County school district. Elgin’s enrollment is 355, up 36 students from the end of the 2018-19 school year, a jump of 10%.

Elgin School District Superintendent Dianne Greif credits much of the increase to this fall’s kindergarten class of 46.

“Normally we have 30 to 35 kindergarten students,” Greif said.

Enrollment at Stella Mayfield Elementary and Elgin High School are also up. Stella Mayfield has 249 students, 12 more than it had four months ago, and the high school has 186 students, an increase of 24. Stella Mayfield serves students in kindergarten through sixth grade, and Elgin High School’s students are in grades seven to 12.

Greif believes the school district’s overall growth reflects an increase in the number of families moving to Elgin.

The Imbler School District’s student head count is up four students to 291 thanks to a larger than expected kindergarten class. Imbler has 20 kindergartners, five more than anticipated, said Superintendent Angie Lakey-Campbell. The school district has 155 students in its grade school and 136 high school students, which serves students in grades seven to 12.

The Union School District also is enjoying an uptick with an increase of 10 students. Union has 377 students — 183 at its high school, which serves students in grades seven to 12, and 194 at its grade school.

“We have had steady growth for three or four years. This is really, really exciting,” said Union School District Superintendent Carter Wells.

Enrollment in the Joseph School District is up between five and 10 students, according to Superintendent Lance Homan. Joseph has 270 students — 152 in kindergarten through sixth grade, 46 in grades seven and eight and 72 at its high school.

The Troy School District has increased from two students to three. This year Troy has two sixth-graders and one seventh-grader.

Enrollment in the Wallowa School District is up 12, to 192 students. Superintendent Jay Hummel said the increase is due in part to a strong kindergarten class of 16 students.

“We typically have about 12 kindergarten students,” Hummel said.

Wallowa’s enrollment has been steadily increasing in recent years. Hummel credits this to the individual attention students in the district receive and expanding opportunities the school district is providing to students in all grades.

Enrollment in the North Powder School District is 274, which is about what it had in 2018-19, said Superintendent Lance Dixon. The North Powder School District, he said, is now near its enrollment capacity.

The student count in the Cove School District, like North Powder, is also essentially unchanged, said Superintendent Earl Pettit. The school district has 296 students, 96 in high school and 200 in kindergarten through eighth grade.

The Cove School District is at its enrollment target for each grade except fourth and 12th grades, Pettit said. It is three below its fourth grade target of 20 students and 10 below its 12th grade objective of 27 students.

Enrollment in the Enterprise School District is 411, down 18 from June. Superintendent Erika Pinkerton said the decline can be traced to 10 families with school-age children who moved out of Wallowa County, many to take new jobs. Pinkerton said the drop looks less drastic in light of the district’s recent enrollment history. She pointed out that five years ago Enterprise had 384 students and three years ago it had 419.

“Yes, it is a hit, but we are still okay,” Pinkerton said.