Watford City Preparing for School Enrollment to Double

WATFORD CITY, N.D. (AP) — Watford City's school enrollment is expected to double to 1,600 students in the next three years because of the western North Dakota oil boom, and officials are discussing the best way to accommodate the growth.

School Superintendent Steve Holen says it would cost as much as $30 million add a third building to the school campus. School board member Gary Bruins says he would rather build another school than put hundreds of students in portable classrooms. He hopes community meetings can be held this summer so that residents can vote in the fall on what to do.

The Bismarck Tribune reports that workers are just finishing an $11.5 million, 30,000-square-foot addition to the city's elementary school. Holen says doing more building would require some financial help from the state.