The Leelanau Ticker learned that enrollment numbers have leapt above average for first time in 15 years at Northport Public School, a rural K-12 where the school board and community members have long prided themselves on small class sizes to promote individualized attention for every learner. We checked in with Neil Wetherbee, superintendent (and a Northport Public School alum himself) on how this fall is going with new students in the mix.

Leelanau Ticker: So, tell us about the jump in enrollment?
Wetherbee: Most years it has remained steady. This year it has been all over the place: In the middle of September enrollment was up almost 14 percent. Right now, we are up about 10 percent over last year.  The school board set our class enrollment caps at 16 students this year — seventh and tenth grades are full; sixth grade has one slot open. Every grade added new students except third grade.

Leelanau Ticker: Is this due to families moving to Northport?
Wetherbee: Approximately 70 percent of the new students are new to the area or are returning to the area from years away. About 30 percent have come from neighboring districts.

Leelanau Ticker: How many students are doing in-person learning at Northport this year?
Wetherbee: Ninety-six percent of new students are attending in-person. Overall, 75 percent of students are in-person (66 percent of elementary, 77 percent of middle, and 84 percent of high school).

Leelanau Ticker: In many ways Northport is set up naturally for social distancing with small class sizes, the independent, project-based learning you are known for, and the size of the building? Is that holding true?
Wetherbee: The smaller class sizes, which is a combination of how many students we have and how many teachers we employ, are extremely beneficial for social distancing. Also, many of our students are naturally cohorted. For example, we offer one ninth grade English class and those same students attend ninth grade social studies together too. That’s true in a normal year, and we’ve been even more intentional this year. Having two gyms has also allowed us socially distance all of our school meals, too.

Leelanau Ticker: How does the student body compare to when you were at Northport?
Wetherbee: When I attended school at Northport in the 1990s, the school was at its largest enrollment since 1956. In 1999, for example, Northport had an enrollment of 343 students. By 2004 the enrollment dropped to 169. Since then, the district has been plus-or-minus 20 from an enrollment of about 155. Before this year, we were at our lower end of the plus-or-minus.

Leelanau Ticker: What does the bump in enrollment mean from a superintendent’s perspective?Wetherbee: For most districts, enrollment equals dollars. At Northport, we are out of formula due to so many non-homesteaded properties and our lower enrollment. Enrollment here is really just a number. I’m happy to be up students rather than down, but I expect numbers to fluctuate as we all deal with this pandemic. More than numbers, I’m excited about the new students and families we’ve added to the Northport community. All the new families have been so understanding and appreciative. We’re delighted to have them.

Leelanau Ticker: Any observations as students and staff adjust to a growing student body?
Wetherbee: For as long as I can remember, Northport Public School has felt like a family in many ways. This dynamic was visible last week when we had Homecoming. Four of the 13 members of the homecoming court, as voted upon by their classmates, were not enrolled in Northport in the spring. It’s amazing how quickly new students find a home here at Northport.