Iowa school enrollment up; West Sioux has highest percentage inc - KTIV News 4 Sioux City IA: News, Weather and Sports

Iowa school enrollment up; West Sioux has highest percentage increase

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By Kristie VerMulm, Evening Anchor - bio | email
HAWARDEN, Iowa (KTIV) -

Enrollment in Iowa schools is up for the first time since 1996.  The number of students is up 0.6 percent this school year. bucking a five year trend of declining enrollment.

Department of Education officials say the increase is due in part to an upsurge in birth rates from 2003 to 2008.

But it may be short lived. They say the long-term trend shows declining enrollment in rural Iowa.

One Northwest Iowa school district experiencing big numbers this year is West Sioux in Hawarden.

It had the biggest percentage jump in the state at almost 10 percent.

Superintendent Randy Collins can't say for sure why they've seen the surge of 60 new students, but he believes it may be tied to the strong ag economy and people moving back home to the area for family support.

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