Student enrollment increases

RANDOLPH – Randolph Public Schools’ enrollment is holding steady and even increased slightly for the 2024-25 academic year.

This year, there are 262 students enrolled in Kindergarten through 12th grade, reflecting an increase of eight students over the previous year, said Superintendent Daryl Schrunk.

Class sizes range from 27 in kindergarten to 12 in seventh grade but most class sizes are in the 20s. Class sizes for this year are: 27 in kindergarten; 22 in first grade; 24 in second grade; 20 in third grade; 23 in fourth grade; 20 in fifth grade; 23 in sixth grade; 12 in seventh grade; 21 in eighth grade; 20 freshmen; 19 sophomores; 14 juniors; and 17 seniors.

Schrunk keeps a close eye on enrollment and the district completes a census report each year for the Nebraska Department of Education.

“Every kid that we know of from birth to 21, we have to send in the report,” he said.

The district encompasses portions of Cedar, Pierce and Wayne counties.

He also keeps a tab on the students enrolled in the Cardinal Kids Learning Center’s 3-year-old and 4-year-old preschool programs.

Keeping all of these factors in mind helps formulate school enrollment projections which boils down to basic math: students coming in to the school district (kindergarten) versus students leaving (graduating seniors), Schrunk said.

A larger incoming kindergarten class is what led to the bump in enrollment for this school year, he said. Some new staff members also brought their children with them to the school district.

Projected enrollments for 2025-26 and into the next few years shows a slight increase and then holding steady from 267-271 students each year.