Class enrollment rates go skyrocketing at Lakeland High School. Due to LHS not requiring masks more family’s started to move into the North Idaho area.

When asked to answer a few questions Trent Derrick, Principle here at LHS, was more than willing to answer them.

In a written statement, Derrick states that “enrollment has gone up ten percent in the last five years”. 

The school district is looking closely at the numbers that might come to LHS in the next fall to prepare for the correct amount of staffing and seating for the students. 

Derrick also states that “As we get more students, staffing will continue to be a priority. We are looking closely at the number for next year.”

If a class that a new student had originally wanted was full, the counselors will unfortunately have to put those students into a different class. In most cases the student will get the classes they had wanted.

“Our counselors have a spreadsheet with the maximum number of desks in each classroom and we do everything possible to ensure that we don’t go over that number” Derrick states.

Every once in a while, Derrick will visit classrooms to check in on how the teachers and students are doing with the different types of learning style. 

According to Derrick the enrollment this year was actually smaller than normal because of COVID-19, which has helped with social distancing. 

“We have students from mostly the Northwest, California, Texas, Arizona and others. They are evenly spread throughout the grade levels” Derrick states.

Derrick thinks the students that have enrolled at LHS are a great addition to the school and are outstanding at the things they do.

Most students have different opinions on why more people are enrolling. One reason is that Lakeland does not require masks. 

With the school not requiring masks people are more likely to come to that school rather than one near there that requires masks.

People that live in North Idaho rather than the other places prefer not to wear masks because of their beliefs on coronavirus. Some may argue masks do not work . While others think that they may save their lives. 

Some people would prefer that the Lakeland School District require masks because they would feel safer while being in a classroom. 

The political side of North Idaho comes out when people start wanting their children to wear masks. Some parents are not willing to enroll their children to a school If they are required to wear masks.