Colfax student count increases in 2021

COLFAX — Enrollment in the Colfax School District continues to increase.

They are now just 4.84 full-time equivalent students under its forecast from last July. Student counts dropped significantly in the fall as the junior high and high schools were online-only until October, then hybrid until Feb. 1.

The school district was granted an extra $280,000 payment from the federal CARES Act to cover the student count gap.

School funding is based on the forecast of students created each summer before a school year starts, then is adjusted in January to reflect the true numbers.

“Don’t you wish we could’ve budgeted on the last month?” said Jerry Pugh, district superintendent, at Monday’s school board meeting. “The good news is we’re recovering. We’re planning for next year.”