The Laramie County School District #1 superintendent told trustees the district’s October 1 enrollment snapshot showed 12,859 students, a net drop of 367 students from the previous year, and outlined how the decline will affect staffing and budgeting.

Doctor Newton described enrollment as a “snapshot” that can change day to day and said the district is already seeing a further small decline since the October count. He said kindergarten enrollment was particularly down (69 fewer kindergarten students at the October count) and that losses are concentrated in the South Triad. The superintendent warned that messy, repeat drops and returns complicate year-to-year comparisons: a single student can appear to leave and return multiple times in the data.

“Enrollment data is tricky,” Doctor Newton said, noting that 1,000-plus students have left the district at some point this year but net loss is smaller because new enrollments partly offset departures. He added that some parents now homeschool without notifying the district, and estimated (as a working figure) that roughly 400 homeschooling families may not be reporting status, which complicates planning.

Because state funding and staffing allocations are tied to enrollment, the superintendent said the district must take steps to “right size” staff. He reminded trustees the district set a target to collapse 30 positions in light of declining enrollment last year and actually reduced staff by 81 positions; he said a new rightsizing effort will start as registration for the next school year begins in late January and February.

Doctor Newton framed the goal as collapsing positions where possible rather than involuntary separations, but cautioned that right-sizing is difficult because losses are often small and dispersed across many schools, making it hard to eliminate entire sections or specialized roles without affecting services.

Trustees did not vote on any staffing action at the meeting; they asked administration to continue registration and planning work and to return with options tied to enrollment trends and potential legislative recalibration anticipated in the next session.

The superintendent said administration will continue to monitor transfers, drops, and re-enrollments and report back on the operational implications for the 2026 budget and staffing plan.