Watertown could close a school as student numbers fall

Closed school would be kept by district for programing

A major South Dakota city is considering shuddering one of its schools amid declining enrollment.

Watertown School District officials are considering ceasing operations at one of its five elementary schools, according to a plan presented to the school board there this month, which indicates the district has the capacity to downsize facilities based on projected student enrollment.

As of the 2022-23 school year, 3,721 students are enrolled in the Watertown School District, down from 3,905 students in the 2018-19 school year, according to enrollment data from the South Dakota Department of Education.

But it’s not because Watertown’s overall population is falling. Over the same time, the city’s population grew slightly, according to U.S. Census data.

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