After the first day of classes at Le Mars Community Schools, the initial student count is up slightly, although the numbers are far from final.

Based on a "seat count" Friday of 2,173 students at LCS, Superintendent Todd Wendt said early estimates suggest the enrollment may have increased by roughly 16 students this year.

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"We have a larger kindergarten class coming in than the graduating class," Wendt said. "If everything stays the same, which it doesn't, than we should be up a little bit or at least stable. We're not seeing initially that big drop that we saw last year."

Wendt stressed that this estimate may be entirely different from what certified enrollment ends up at on Oct. 1.

Certified enrollment numbers are used to decide how much state money comes to the school district.

Certified enrollment is not equal to the exact number of students at desks in LCS.

To find that figure, Wendt took the seat count -- the number of students in seats at school on Friday -- and first subtracted open-enrolled in and tuition-in students. Those numbers aren't available yet this year, so for a rough estimate he used last year's numbers, 40 students.

He then added an estimated 60 open enrolled-out students plus an estimated 42 students counted for shared dual credits and other weighted credits.

The end result number is 2,236, which Wendt calls a "really, really rough estimate."

Last year's certified enrollment on Oct. 1 was 2,219.

Wendt pointed out that last year, the rough estimate only showed a 30-student decrease. Then, when Oct. 1 came and official enrollment was counted, LCS was down by 80 students.

"That's how much it fluctuates," Wendt said. "There's a long ways to go until Oct. 1."

School board member Mark Stelzer said even a slight increase wouldn't prevent the need for the Instructional Support Levy (ISL), which the public is voting on Sept. 9.

"I think even with continued slow growth the ISL was going to be needed anyway, because state support isn't quite enough and hasn't been," he said. "We need the support no matter what. No matter what the circumstances, the ISL has to be passed."