Enrollment increases are exactly where Lake Tahoe Unified wants them – at the elementary level.

While the official tally for the state is not taken until October, officials are reporting 88 more students than last school year. The bulk of that growth is in kindergarten and first grade.

“That feeds the system,” is how Superintendent Jim Tarwater described it.

For a district that has had declining enrollment for years on end, to start off strong is a good sign. However, it’s what the numbers look like after the winter break that are more telling. That is often when people leave the district — then return for the fall when the weather is nicer.

The middle school is holding steady, with some decline at South Tahoe High. What’s different at the high school is 14 students are from Nevada – the largest contingency to date. Even the student body president – Jack Percival – is from the Silver State.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report