Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget Levy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Weston County school board approves preliminary 2025–26 budget and intents to levy for BOCES, recreation district
Summary
The board approved a preliminary fiscal 2025–26 budget and voted to seek a half‑mill levy for Eastern Wyoming BOCES and a 1‑mill levy for the Eastern Weston County Recreation District; administrators cautioned numbers remain estimates until assessed valuations and the state funding model are finalized.
The Weston County school board approved a preliminary budget for fiscal year 2025–26 and voted to seek a half‑mill levy for Eastern Wyoming BOCES and a 1‑mill levy for the Eastern Weston County Recreation District during its public meeting. The board took the action after a presentation from district staff and without any public comment at the hearing.
The vote matters because the levies fund the BOCES sharing services and the county recreation district; administrators said both are likely to see revenue declines tied to recent property‑tax legislation and uncertain assessed valuations. "The assessed valuations won't be available till June, early July," district presenter Angie said, and she added: "The final funding model isn't even released till, you know, mid July."
In her presentation, Angie summarized major elements of the preliminary budget: the general fund reflects the salary and benefit package approved in April, replacement of two route Suburbans and one Type C/Type D bus, continued funding for Special Olympics, and reallocation in the activity budget to increase middle‑ and high‑school coaching contracts. She said the major‑maintenance budget rose because of changes tied to state law and a one‑time increase in educational square footage and replacement‑value calculations.
Angie told the board staff estimated that Eastern Wyoming College BOCES funding would fall by "about almost $8,000" and that the recreation district is projected to decline by roughly $15,000 as a result of recent property‑tax legislation. Federal grant estimates were reduced in the draft because final allocations were not yet available.
Board members moved and seconded approval of the preliminary budget and the two intents to levy; the board voted in favor and carried the motions. The presenter and board members emphasized the numbers are estimates and that final assessed valuations and the state funding formula, both expected in mid‑summer, will determine the final levy and budget figures.
The board noted next steps: staff will update the budget when the county assessor posts valuations and when the state releases the final funding model, and the district will return for the final budget adoption at a later meeting.
