GILLETTE, Wyo. — Campbell County School District Board of Trustees approved the 2022-2023 budget administrators presented July 20.
Superintendent Alex Ayers said July 22 that the board approved the budget administration presented, without changes.
The anticipated $142.6 million general fund is $312,238 higher than last year’s. The budget document said the increase is largely due to increased assessed value and staffing needs in the district.
Seventy-two percent of revenues are locally sourced. Nearly 57% of general fund expenses will be spent on instruction, while 15.4% will be spent on instructional support. Almost 10% will go to maintenance expenses. In terms of expenses on materials, 59% of general fund expenditures will be on salaries.
The school district will add six elementary teachers, two special programs teachers, a junior high Dual Language Immersion teacher and five special programs paraprofessionals.
The school board approved a special school district tax of one-half mill at its April 26 meeting. The tax will be used to maintain programs the Board of Cooperative Higher Education Services provides. The roughly $2.3 million generated by this mill levy will not
be part of Campbell County School District’s budget, but will be presented in the annual audit as a discretely presented component unit. The mill has been in effect since the 1989-90 budget year.
Wyoming legislation this year increased the level reserves are limited to for school districts from 15% to 30% of their previous year foundation guarantee, until fiscal year 2026. During these years, the additional 15% must be tracked separately from the original 15% and can’t be spent on capital construction.
Campbell County School District’s amount is about $40.86 million. Reserves above 30% would be a local resource, increasing the district’s recapture. The budget document said the school district is not expected to have Board reserves above 30% of the general operating budget in future years. The district will prioritize spending restricted resources funds before committed funds, assigned funds, and unassigned resources for spending government funds unless the superintendent believes it is in the district’s best interest to spend in another method.
All items on the agenda were approved, including the administration’s recommendation regarding the Board of Cooperative Higher Education Services, Ayers said.
That includes accepting notice from Johnson County School District 1, Sheridan County School District 1, and the Northern Wyoming Community College District notifying Campbell County School District that they will withdraw from the Board of Cooperative Higher Education Services effective July 1, 2023 and recommending accepting Lubnau Law Office as legal counsel for the district regarding Board of Cooperative Higher Education Services matters, waiving any conflict of interest.
Alison Gee, an attorney with the law firm, is a member of the Gillette Community College District Board of Trustees. Each district is part of the Board of Community Higher Education, and Campbell County School District sometimes provides legal services to the board, the acknowledgement and waiver of conflict of interest form said.
“CCSD acknowledges the potential conflict of interest and consents to Ms. Gee continuing
its representation of CCSD as it pertains to BOCHES and waives any potential conflict of
interest,” the agenda said.
Agenda items also included the following:
- Ratifying a federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grant for a $44,938 bid for 13 CharacterStrong elementary toolkits and training
- Approving bids and quotes regarding maintenance and custodial supplies and equipment
- Approving a $35,290 bid from Game One/Universal Athletic for a pole vault pit for the Recreation Center Field House, which would be paid for through general funds and Campbell County Public Recreation District
- Adopting Galería de lengua y cultura 1 textbooks for 7th grade dual language immersion for $10,826.16.
- Applying for the Albertsons Nourishing Neighbors Breakfast for Kids grant
