Open enrollment at JHS both a challenge and opportunity

Open enrollment means Jefferson High School can potentially grow and attract students, but it can also make the start of the school year challenging.

Because Jefferson County students have more than one high school to choose from, Jefferson High administrators may not know until the first day of class how many students they actually have, said Superintendent Tim Norbeck.

When doors opened Tuesday, Norbeck was expecting 300 students, an increase of 30 from the 2018-19 school year — somewhat surprising in the face of a new high school in East Helena.