WILLMAR -- There were 4,178 students enrolled in the Willmar Public Schools on Sept. 21, according to figures submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education.
It represents 69 more students than were enrolled at the end of the 2006-2007 school year, according to Pam Harrington, finance director.
The district sees fluctuations in its enrollment numbers during the year. Harrington said last year at this time the district showed an enrollment of 4,201, or 23 more students than currently.
In other matters, school board members plan to join Willmar City Council members and the Kandiyohi County Board of Commissioners to discuss the amount of bonded debt placed on the tax roles.
The three taxing entities are planning to hold the meeting from 4 to 6 p.m. on Oct. 30, possibly at the Willmar Education and Arts Center.
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Superintendent Kathy Leedom said the three taxing entities will discuss the amount each levies for building and infrastructure projects, and what they project will be needed in the future.
The superintendent also reported that the district's administrative staff and the bus company will be holding a debriefing to discuss what lessons can be learned from the unusual Sept. 20 weather incident. The National Weather Service in the Twin Cities issued a weather alert for the area as students were boarding busses at the end of the school day. Some busses were already on the road.
Conditions were favorable for the formation of tornados, although none had been sighted.
Students who had not yet boarded busses were brought to places of safety in their schools. Busses that were on the road transported students to the next stop, where they were escorted to places of safety.
Leedom said that the owner of Willmar Bus Service had noted that in 27 years of providing service, he had never experienced a weather event such as this.
Leedom credited staff with doing an excellent job of handling the unusual situation. The debriefing could help provide ideas on how to be even more prepared if something like this happens again, she said.
