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Weston County School District #1 approves pay-base increases, steps and preliminary levies
Summary
The board approved multiple salary-base increases and pay-structure changes — including added dollars to teacher and staff bases, steps and lane allowances, and higher substitute pay — and approved a preliminary budget that includes intent to levy ½ mill for Eastern Wyoming BOCES and 1 mill for the Eastern Weston County Recreation District.
WESTON — The Weston County School District #1 Board of Trustees on May 12 approved a package of compensation changes and a preliminary budget that includes two small levies for cooperating regional entities.
During new business, Business Manager Angela Holliday recommended a series of targeted salary-base increases that the board approved: an addition of $6,000 to the school nurse salary base, $6,000 to the school counselor base, $6,000 to the special-education professional base, $10,000 to administrators and directors, and a $1.00 increase to the classified salary base. The board also approved allowing salary steps for all staff and allowing lanes for Intent to Advance on the salary scale. Substitute pay was increased from $115/$120 per day to $125/$130 per day. Motions on each item were made and seconded and recorded as "MOTION CARRIED." (Business Manager Angela Holliday presented these items.)
The board heard from Chairman Billy Fitzwater that the district will cover a 7% increase in medical insurance and will cover 0.50 percentage points of the Wyoming Retirement increase; Fitzwater also reported an addition of $12,333 to the teachers' salary base as part of the budgetary items presented to trustees.
At 7:30 p.m., Angela Holliday presented the district's preliminary budget. Trustee Dana Gordon moved and Trustee Paul Bau seconded a motion to approve the preliminary budget and the intent to levy one-half mill for Eastern Wyoming BOCES and one mill for the Eastern Weston County Recreation District; there were no public comments, and the motion carried.
Superintendent LaCroix thanked the board for approving "these budgetary items," saying, "If the Board wouldn't have made those tough decisions in March to correct size the district, we would not have been able to approve what you did tonight." He added the district still faces enrollment and budget uncertainty and encouraged using attrition to manage openings if possible.
Why it matters: The approved increases and structural pay changes alter the district's compensation baseline and will affect payroll obligations in the coming fiscal year; the preliminary levies transfer modest additional tax support to the two named regional entities and will appear in further budget documents and public hearings before final adoption.
What to watch next: The preliminary budget and levies are subject to final adoption and any state-level adjustments; the board indicated staff will continue working through outstanding budget questions.
