District presents accreditation peer‑review findings; administrators describe intervention, safety and community efforts

Laramie County School District #2 administrators used the Feb. 5 Committee of the Whole meeting to present sections 3–5 of a peer review conducted Oct. 1–2, 2024, describing changes to master schedules, intervention cycles and building leadership intended to improve student supports and operations.

The presentation, led by building administrators and district staff, summarized school‑level practices intended to identify struggling students earlier and deliver targeted supports. Administrators described a Response to Intervention (RTI) scheduling tool that allows students to sign up for intervention, enrichment or other activities, and said the system ties to PowerSchool so staff can see each student’s schedule and attendance in interventions across the school year. “You can pull it right up and say, ‘you’re not ever going to your math teachers,’” one presenter said, describing how staff use the schedule to redirect students into targeted help.

Administrators said the district has formalized an “intervention cycle” that uses PLC (professional learning community) time and planning periods to review student data by grade and class and assign next steps (for example, moving a student into a specific teacher’s intervention block). Pine Bluffs High School presenters said the combination of weekly intervention scheduling and PLC work dropped the average number of students failing two or more classes from 39.9 to 15.1 in the first semester after changes were implemented.

Safety and emergency communications were also part of the presentation. The district described deployment of Wild Link radios — encrypted handheld devices and base stations districtwide — intended to provide interoperable communications with local fire and law enforcement channels when needed. The board heard that the district and the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office have formalized an operating agreement for resource deputies; Sheriff Brian Kozak and deputies participated in the peer‑review presentation and explained that deputies are trained in school‑specific procedures, the department has a drive‑around presence in district communities, and the county funds deputy positions that the district can use for school support. “We’re here for you,” a deputy told district staff, offering operational support.

Administrators also reviewed noninstructional partnerships and communications tools the district uses to reach families: an ADA‑compliant website with a prominent pop‑up feature, SchoolMessenger all‑call and opt‑in text messaging, two marquee signs in Pine Bluffs and Burns for community notices and job postings, streamed and recorded board meetings on YouTube, and an online student registration process that routes families into PowerSchool accounts. Justin Pendleton of the Boys and Girls Club told the board the local affiliate is negotiating a name change to the Boys and Girls Club of Eastern Wyoming and has opened sites in Pine Bluffs and Burns (the Burns program moved into Old Burns Elementary and a historic high school building), with the organization operating its own spaces and still receiving district support for meals and playground access.

The presenters noted curriculum and assessment challenges in science and math, and said staff are continuing professional development work — including PLCs and targeted 30‑hour curriculum time — to align instruction with updated assessment blueprints. Administrators said they will provide additional peer‑review sections to the board at subsequent CAL (curriculum and leadership) meetings.

Board members thanked presenters for the overview and said the presentation helped them understand work at the building level and contributions from community partners.

Ending: District leaders said additional peer‑review sections will be presented at future CAL meetings and that administrators will follow up with supporting documentation and agendas for the board to review offline.