For the last five years, Wasatch Back schools have had fewer and fewer students walk their halls — and this year was no different.
Park City School District has seen over a decade of declining enrollment. The district has 3,941 students as of its official Oct. 1 count. That’s down 108 students compared to last year.
Other Wasatch Back school districts saw similar declines. Wasatch County School District has lost over 200 students since 2025. It has 6,822 kids this year.
Enrollment in the Kamas Valley’s South Summit School District is 1,493 students this year, a decline of 33 kids. North Summit School District in the Coalville area has 1,024 students, down 37 from last year.
The waning numbers reflect a trend statewide.
The Utah State Board of Education reports overall K-12 enrollment declined by 2.4% this year, down over 15,800 students since 2025. It’s also the largest single-year percentage drop since at least 2014.
As enrollment directly dictates how much state funding schools get, Wasatch Back districts are aiming to counteract declines.
Board of Education President Meredith Reed told KPCW the board opened enrollment to out-of-boundary students for the 2027-2028 school year to help balance the numbers.
“We like having our classrooms full, and we have a great opportunity to provide opportunities for kids that don't live in the district,” she said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour.”
South Summit’s board also opened enrollment.
District leaders are also hoping Wasatch Back growth will translate into increased enrollment.
Heber City was the seventh-fastest-growing community in the state with 20,000 or more residents. Wasatch Superintendent Garrick Peterson told the board in October the county’s birth rate has also increased, which is promising.
“The birth rate kicked back up two years ago,” he said. “Eventually, those kids will hit, and … the projection will be then it will start going back up.”
Wasatch and Summit county governments are focused on adding affordable housing to attract families and retain workers.
Park City opened a workforce housing development last year and is working on finalizing another one. Heber unveiled six affordable homes in August while Midway approved its first affordable housing development in October.
The Summit County Council aims to add 1,500 affordable housing units by 2036; the Wasatch County Council is reimagining its affordable housing approach.
