After last fall’s unexpected explosion in kindergarten enrollment numbers, the Havre Public Schools elementary district has been waiting to see how many would stick around through the spring count, which, averaged with the fall numbers, affects the district’s budget.

At Tuesday night’s Board of Trustees meeting, the spring count numbers were released, and little has changed.

Last fall, 185 kindergartners entered the school system. As of Feb. 1, 174 of those students remain, which brings the year’s average to 180. That’s 29 more students than the same average last year.

“I am pleased to see the elementary side growing, ” Superintendent Andy Carlson said. “I think that’s encouraging for the district. ”

While the elementary schools saw growth, which means more money, district officials are also keeping an eye on the high school, where a few small classes are working their way through the system.

The juniors, with 124 students on Feb. 1, and seniors, with 127, the 151 freshmen and 143 sophomores, give a lower district total.

“I am in no hurry to see those juniors leave, but funding-wise, that is a concern we will have to deal with, ” Carlson said.

With these numbers in hand, the districts now begin their budget planning for the next school, which the trustees also took a look at on Tuesday.

According to a district budgeting schedule, the district will spend the next two or three months collecting data “necessary to meet the budgets” before the board is set to call for trustee and levy elections on March 29.

While elementary numbers grow, a bit of relief for the smaller high school district is on the way in a multi-district agreement approved at Tuesday’s meeting that allows the elementary district and high school district to pool resources for certain specified expenses like utilities and supplies.