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Parents, students and coaches tell LCSD1 board proposed $55,000 pool fee would price out Capital City Athletics
Summary
Dozens of parents, students, coaches and state legislators urged the Laramie County School District #1 Board of Trustees to reverse proposed facility‑use fees that community members say would charge Capital City Athletics $55,000 a year — far above the club's stated $5,000 in added costs — and effectively close off access for many students.
Dozens of parents, students and coaches told the Laramie County School District #1 Board of Trustees that proposed facility‑use fees for school pools threaten to price out Capital City Athletics, the year‑round swim club that feeds the district's high‑school teams.
Community members said the district is proposing a $55,000 annual fee for CCA to use district pools while the club's incremental costs to the district — chemicals and custodial time — are “closer to $5,000 annually,” Amber Webb told the board. “Charging $55,000 for $5,000 — it costs us 1,000% markup. That's not cost recovery, it's exclusion,” Webb said.
The concern was raised by state legislators and a string of public commenters who said the fee structure would harm students, reduce scholarship opportunities and undermine life‑saving learn‑to‑swim programs. Representative Brown told the board the legislature approved an 8.5% statewide raise and expressed puzzlement that the district’s payroll increases appeared smaller; several speakers linked that funding dispute to broader worries about where district funds are being directed.
Students and coaches described direct consequences. “Why are you not welcoming us either?” asked Natalie Loomis, a CCA swimmer and LCSD1 student, echoing other speakers who noted many CCA coaches and volunteers are district teachers and staff. A student representative said district janitorial staff already perform many maintenance tasks and argued the proposed fees would amount to being charged twice for services supported by taxpayers.
CCA founder and coach Larry White and parent‑coach Galen Goff emphasized the community and public‑safety dimensions: limited pool capacity means the district currently cannot offer learn‑to‑swim access at scale, and raising fees risks shrinking the only year‑round program that produces state champions and teaches life‑saving skills. Goff estimated that, with current facilities, the district can accommodate less than 10% of kindergartners for swim lessons and urged the board to protect access for all students.
Board members did not vote on the fee policy during the meeting. Trustees thanked speakers and said they would follow up; several commenters asked the board to work with community organizations to set fees that reflect actual marginal costs and not to turn taxpayer‑funded facilities into barriers for lower‑income families.
The matter drew comparisons to other Wyoming districts: Webb told the board that some districts waive fees for youth athletics or charge far smaller annual amounts; she said LCSD1's proposed $55,000 fee is an outlier. Speakers asked the district to pursue a solution that keeps pools open and accessible rather than pricing families out.
The public comment period concluded with the board moving to other agenda items; no formal action on the facility‑use fee schedule was taken at this meeting.
