For the second year in a row, Traverse City Area Public Schools has experienced enrollment growth after a previous lengthy stretch of declines.

Preliminary numbers on Count Day Wednesday showed an increase of 75-100 students across all grades, according to Superintendent Dr. John VanWagoner. Exact numbers are still being finalized because virtual students are counted on a four-week window and not just one day. That is a notable jump over last year's increase, which was in the 25-30 range and put the district's total population at just under 9,000 students. 

In Michigan, a school district’s official enrollment number is determined by taking 90 percent of the October count and adding 10 percent of the February count. That means the district's final total won't be known until later in the school year. Still, the increase seen Wednesday marks a significant trend for TCAPS following a steady decline in students since the beginning of the 2000s.

Student population levels have major ramifications for school districts because of the state's per pupil funding. Michigan's budget this year included a 2.5 percent increase for that base funding - an additional $250 per student, or a total of $10,300 per pupil.