County schools official warns Secure Rural Schools funding has dropped about 65% and flags Livingston charter proposal

Lisa, Park County’s public‑schools administrator, told the board Dec. 2 that Secure Rural Schools (SRS) funding has fallen sharply for local schools and urged commissioners and residents to contact federal representatives about the program’s status.

"Park County itself, just in the last couple of years, has lost, like, 65% of the funding from that," Lisa said, adding she included a printed information sheet for commissioners and the local paper. She reported figures in the meeting indicating the county’s SRS aid fell to about $474,000 after previously being in the mid‑hundreds of thousands to low‑millions range; the transcript contains slightly inconsistent numerals, so the percentage (about 65%) reflects the speaker’s characterization of the reduction.

Lisa also briefed the commission on a proposed Livingston public charter school that would enroll grades 7–12. She said the charter would be operated under Livingston Public Schools and follow state mandates but could pull students and funding from existing district schools. "It could be in conflict with regular public schools here and pull funding from it," she said.

Lisa described local impacts in the transcript by noting two Park County schools that rely on SRS aid—Cook and Arrowhead—and explained that the distribution of federal and state funding means some schools receive Title I money while others do not. She urged commissioners to consider contacting federal lawmakers if they are "so inclined." The record does not show further board action on the funding issue or a formal request to draft a county response; the matter was presented for awareness and possible future advocacy.