The number of west Wendover students fell below 1,000 for the first time in almost 20 years according to first week enrollment numbers from the elementary and high school.
According to school figures there were 537 elementary students and 417 jr/sr high school students on the first day of school this year. While the total enrollment number is expected to rise after Labor Day it is likely that total enrollment might not break the 1,000 student mark.
The last time the enrollment number was that low was shortly after the high school opened its doors in 1996. For the next seven years West Wendover student population grew without respite and reached the 1,200 student mark in 2002.
The StateLine bankruptcy and the Great Recession both had a devastating impact on the population of both sides of town and both sides school enrollments. The West Wendover Elementary school for example lost about 30 students the equivalent of a class every year for five years from 2003 to 2009.
According to the census there are now 4,410 people in Wendover a drop of 6.6 percent from the 4,721 counted in 2000 and more importantly a drop of more than 10 percent from its estimated population of a bout 5,000 from the state demographers office.
West Wendover’s population decline has also spilled across the border into Wendover, Utah. The much smaller sister city also reported a decline of about 10 percent.
In the past five years Wendover, Utah however has shown signs of great resiliency than its larger sister to the west. While no where near a complete recovery Wendover, Utah has logged some notable new development such as the new Nugget RV Park, the expanded Shell Service Center and the Dollar Store. West Wendover, Nevada on the other hand has met with little success apart from the addition of the Smith’s Gas Station the only large project West Wendover has seen in almost a decade was the City Hall and a city paid for industrial park that so far has two tenants.
This year Wendover, Utah student population also fell from 190 to 176 at the high school and from 295 to 285 at the Anna Smith Elementary.
However with the resurgence of the gaming industry (see story this page) and with the prospects of the Long Canyon Mine things might be looking up for the Nevada/Utah border town.
The new liquor store will be located between the Red Garter and the Desert Discount Liquor Store on Wendover Boulevard. The pedicab service is expected to also begin operations.
There could also be a new casino/hotel on the horizon with the purchase of the defunct Rusty Palms by local entrepreneur Steve Perry.
In the past five years West Wendover has seen a number of relatively large retailers also leave town such as Park Furniture, Bargain Barn, Serendipity and Blanchard’s Furniture. Two years ago it saw the closure of one of its two full service banks, Nevada Bank and Trust.
While generally depressing there are some signs of green shoots. A clothing store and a discount general goods store open where the video store once operated.
A dozen years ago that West Wendover earned the title of Nevada’s fastest growing city by more than doubling its population from over 2,000 when the city incorporated in 1991 to well over 4,000 in 2001.
The economy on both sides of town should also begin to look up with the construction of the Long Canyon Gold Mine still scheduled to begin in early 2015.
Literally a mountain of gold ore lies in the once long over looked Pequop Range now in advanced exploration.
The mine has the potential to radically alter the economy and the lives of eastern Nevada, residents of Wendover and Wells. Estimated to need 500 workers during construction and 250 miners once operations are ready, the Long Canyon mine could add at least 1,000 people to the area and that may be just the tip of a gold boom in eastern Elko County.
