Families living outside of the Park City School District can apply for their children to attend classes there during the upcoming school year.
The school board in June opened enrollment at its four elementary schools for the 2025-26 academic year and this week agreed to open the district’s secondary grade buildings to any student.
Each school will allow open enrollment, with room available for current and out-of-boundary students at most grade levels. District officials said enrollment projections and available classroom capacity will guide decisions as early applications are reviewed in February and finalized in March.
District Business Administrator Randy Upton previously said opening the primary and elementary schools to all families “changed the trajectory” of the school district. On Tuesday, he provided an overview to board members about the declining student population, school capacity and the enrollment forecast.
Upton explained the district was prepared to lose up to 100 students this academic year, but open enrollment helped reduce that to about 68 students. The district lost 129 students during 2024-25, 104 students in 2023-24, 242 students in 2022-23 and 104 students in 2021-22. Next school year, Upton anticipates a loss of 56 students or a total student population of 3,993.
“This is a conservative estimate. I would even dare say that if schools are left open, we may be close to a break-even situation,” Upton said.
The district will grant each of its schools open status because the buildings have room, based on class size and teaching stations, at most grade levels. Each elementary school averages around 17 to 18 students per class, but some classes might only have 11 kids. Class sizes at the secondary level are closer to 20 to 22 students.
Upton explained the projected enrollment in each school — Parley’s Park, McPolin, Jeremy Ranch, Trailside, Ecker Hill and Park City High — is lower than its maximum capacity.
District data estimates there is space available for 93 students at Jeremy Ranch Elementary School, 98 students at Parley’s Park Elementary School, 118 students at McPolin Elementary School, 81 students at Trailside Elementary School, 250 students at Ecker Hill Middle School and 225 students at Park City High School.
However, there is variability by grade and school; for example, there could be 10 open spots in kindergarten but 30 spots in third grade. The school board could decide to open specific grades in certain schools based on the projections.
“Every calculation based on that class size, unless the board were to say tonight, ‘Hey, we’re going to build a budget with a class size of 10,’ this open schools isn’t probably going to change,” Upton said.
If class sizes were larger, more students could be accepted.
The early enrollment period runs through Feb. 1. Out-of-boundary families can apply during this window. Then the board will reassess the applications and notify families with placement decisions in March.
Superintendent Lyndsay Huntsman and school board members emphasized their commitment to maintaining a competitive educational environment, including optimal class sizes and student-to-teacher ratios.