For the second year in a row, enrollment growth was reported in the Pella Community School District.

Superintendent Greg Ebeling tells KRLS News the number of resident students and open enrollees grew again this academic year. Ebeling says because they are funded on a per pupil basis, it means new money will be flowing into their general fund next fiscal year, which may help with a previously projected shortfall, which they are hoping to offset through additional early retirements as well.

“We have seven people taking retirement, and with that number, we’re not anticipating a lot more,” he says. “So we’re guessing between our open enrollees and new people that have come to the district as students, we’re going to get some additional revenue, that with the retirements, our budget should be in pretty good shape.”

However, Ebeling says the district still needs sustainable increases from the state to keep their books from dipping too far into the red again in the near future as they anticipate further growth.