Once again, enrollment in Powell’s public schools is on the rise.

From kindergarten through 12th grade, 1,819 students are enrolled in Park County School District No. 1, making this year’s count the largest in recent years.

“We’re up 62 students district-wide from the last day of school in May to the first day of school this year,” said Kevin Mitchell, superintendent of the Powell school district. “That’s a pretty good bump.”

The kindergarten count continues to climb. With 156 kindergartners enrolled this fall, the youngsters make up the largest class in the district.

The next largest class is a tie between third-graders and seventh-graders, each with 153 students. The fifth-grade class is close behind with 152.

Meanwhile, Powell High School’s 102 seniors make up the smallest class. The junior class follows with 113 and then sophomores with 124.

No other class has fewer than 139 students.

All enrollment figures are as of Oct. 1. The state uses enrollment on that date in various reports and to determine funding for school districts.

“A lot of things are determined off of that Oct. 1 count,” Mitchell said.

The school district has grown by 164 students since October 2011, when there were 1,655 pupils.

Mitchell said the schools can handle the influx of students.

“Right now we’re just doing just fine,” Mitchell said. “We’re not quite at capacity … If we get to about 160 per grade level, on average, that will put us at capacity. Right now we’re not making any decisions on any buildings.”

If numbers remain steady, PHS will soon see larger class sizes. Powell High School was designed for classrooms to be shared, so not every teacher would always be in their own classroom, he said.

“When the state figures out capacity, they expect every classroom to be full every period of the day,” he said. “There’s no free periods. When we look at, ‘Are we full?’ That’s not compared to what they think when we’re full. And they’re the ones designing and building and paying for the schools.”

The school district purchased land earlier this year as a site for a potential new elementary school, but school officials have no immediate plans to use the property.

“There’s nothing on the horizon with the School Facilities Commission,” he said. “We did purchase that property, but we’re not quite ready to go there yet.”

The higher numbers in the lower grade levels put a bit of a strain on the elementary schools, but “our teachers are doing well,” Mitchell said. He said the district also utilizes para-educators effectively in larger classrooms.

Mitchell’s pleased with how the school year is going so far.

“We’ve had a really good start to the school year,” he said.

It’s hard to point to one specific reason for the influx in students, Mitchell said. For example, he noted some oil industry businesses have declined while other enterprises have expanded.

“We’re not sure why people are coming to Powell. People ask us that all the time,” Mitchell said. “As far as I know, we’re one of the few communities in the (Big Horn) Basin that is growing.”

Over the past decade, Powell has added about 900 residents — though its population growth has slowed in recent years.