Small drop in local school enrollment

The number of students in the San Juan School District fell slightly in the past year, according to the October 1 enrollment count.
In total, 2,940 students were enrolled on October 1, 2016, a slight drop from the 2,975 on October 1, 2015.
The changes in enrollment differ between communities in the district, with the number of students in the Monument Valley schools dropping nearly ten percent, from 503 students in 2015 to 456 in 2016.
In contrast, the number of students in Blanding grew by 27, from 1,234 in 2015 to 1,261 in 2016.
The number of students in Monticello stayed roughly the same, from 536 in 2015 to 537 in 2016.
In Montezuma Creek, the total number of students fell from 542 in 2015 to 539 in 2016.
The school district operates twelve schools in a sprawling district that extends from La Sal to Navajo Mountain.
Over the past ten years, there have been significant swings in school enrollment at the local schools, providing evidence of communities in transition.
For instance, enrollment at Blanding Elementary School has varied from a low of 508 students in 2015 to a high of 605 students just three years earlier, in 2012.
Similarly, enrollment at Tse’bii’nidzisgai Elementary School at Monument Valley has varied from a low of 172 in 2007 to a high of 284 in 2014.
In other news, the San Juan School District has been awarded a grant to implement a Native Youth Community Project. The multiple year grant will be administered by Trevor Olsen, who previously served as assistant principal at San Juan High.
The project will result in the development of college and career curriculum and counseling services for Native youth.