Wenatchee schools exceed enrollment forecast, remain below last year

WENATCHEE — Wenatchee School District enrolled 193 more full-time equivalent students than it budgeted for the 2026-27 school year, though enrollment remains 51 FTE below last year’s level, the district announced Sept. 28.

The count day results exceeded projections at elementary, middle and high schools. Elementary enrollment came in 58 FTE above budget, middle schools 27 FTE above and high schools 108 FTE above. Together, those figures account for the districtwide difference of 193 FTE.

Superintendent Kory Kalahar credited expanded career and technical education, college coursework, alternative programs and outreach to families for helping the district exceed its forecast.

“We’re not a district in decline. We’re taking on the enrollment challenge and leveraging our strengths to create more opportunities for students to be part of our district,” Kalahar said in a news release.

The district identified Wenatchee High School’s Career and Technical Education programs as a draw for students. They include energy management, agriculture, Air Force Junior ROTC, health occupations and engineering. WHS students earned 1,871 industry-recognized certificates through CTE programs last year, according to the district.

Accelerated Pathways, now in its second year, is intended to give WHS students access to College in the High School courses while they remain enrolled at the high school. The district said the program is showing strong results, though it did not provide an enrollment figure for Accelerated Pathways in the release.

Valley Academy, which serves homeschool families through a parent-partnership model, has doubled its enrollment since moving to the former Columbia Elementary building, the district said. It did not provide the academy’s enrollment totals before and after the move.

The district also pointed to growth at WestSide High School, where it has expanded alternative learning programs for students seeking another route to graduation.

Changes to the district’s choice policies have made it easier for families to enroll in programs outside their home district, according to the release. As of September, WSD had more than 100 additional students choosing its schools over their home districts compared with September 2025. The district also cited mailings, billboards and digital advertising aimed at making families aware of its programs.

Kalahar acknowledged that exceeding the budget forecast does not mean total enrollment rose from last year. He said the state’s reduction in Transition to Kindergarten slots accounts for 15 FTE of the 51 FTE year-over-year decrease. He also pointed to declining birth rates, changing demographics and competition for students as broader pressures on public school enrollment.

“Enrollment decline is a real trend nationally and we are not immune to it,” Kalahar said. “But the data supports that families are choosing WSD in growing numbers across many programs because of what we offer and because we listened to their needs.”

The district did not include its total 2026-27 enrollment or the enrollment figures used to build its budget in the release.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media