District reports slight enrollment dip; shows major maintenance spending and state funding review

Superintendent Erickson reported that average daily membership (ADM) for the district remains at 2,881 for the month, unchanged from the prior month but down 48 students from October 2024 and down 162 students from three years ago.

"We have the same number of students, ADM, as last month, 2,881," Superintendent Erickson said during the report. He and board members discussed birth-rate trends and statewide patterns as the primary drivers of the decline; the transcript records the superintendent and board members attributing the drop principally to lower birth rates rather than to a specific local policy change.

District finance staff reviewed the monthly financials and major maintenance spending. The board was told the district completed a large middle-school roof replacement — a project the presenter described as a roughly $1,400,000 investment intended to serve the next 30 years. The presenter said food services expenditures are at about 14% of budget and other instructional areas are tracking in expected ranges for the early part of the school year.

Finance staff also walked the board through publicly available state budget tools and referenced a longer narrative on the Wyoming funding model that recommends a comprehensive recalibration rather than piecemeal adjustments to components of the state model. The finance presenter said district staff plan to present mechanical breakdowns of any future raise packages so the board can see all associated costs (taxes, retirement, benefits) before action.

The board did not take final action on district-wide budget changes at the meeting; the financial review was presented for information and as context for future decisions.