Preliminary enrollment figures indicate an uptick of students attending Buchanan Community Schools.

According to Supt. Andrea van der Laan, the district’s preliminary student count is 1,644 — more than 100 students more than last year’s spring count of 1,542.

However, that number could change between now and the first official student count in early October. School districts receive state aid based on official enrollment counts taken in the fall and spring.

“I was ecstatic,” said van der Laan when asked about the enrollment increase. “We are hoping they all stay.”

About half of the increase can be attributed to an influx of students from nearby Galien School District, which closed in June.

Van der Laan said they were expecting to take in about 30 Galien students. The district currently has 51.

“We knew with Galien closing we would get a major hit, but we didn’t know it would be that much,” she said.

More students mean more per pupil state aid for Buchanan, which was looking to take about $800,000 out of its fund equity to pay for various expenses, including new busses, curriculum, classroom materials and employee retirement.

Now Buchanan might not have to dip too deep into its fund equity.

“Financially, it helps,” van der Laan said. “Of course, we’ll have to watch over the next week or two to see where the official count stands.”