(Lander, WY) – The Fremont County School District (FCSD) #1 School Board convened for a regular meeting Tuesday night, where a Public Hearing on the Proposed Budget for 2022-23 for FCSD #1 and Tiger Joint Powers Board was held.
The budget was unanimously approved by the Board.
According to the budget proposal and FCSD #1 Business Manager Travis Sweeney, in the 2021/22 school year the District spent approximately 96.58% of its $28,753,705 budgeted expenditures.
The District also received 96.31% of its estimated General Fund Revenues in FY 2022, which equated to $27,648,077.
The FY 2022-23 budget is projected to be a deficit budget in the amount of $52,165, “more or less a balanced budget,” according to the report from Sweeney.
These amounts include the items that were negotiated during the spring, as well as the amount the District will have to pay out for early retirement incentives offered in years past.
Compared to the FY 2021-22 budget amounts, the 2022-23 estimates will see “a large decrease, due in large part to reduction decisions made by Administration, examples include reduction of building budgets and reduction in the Capital Outlay expenditure line items.”
Sweeney also commented at the meeting that “ADM (Average Daily Membership) numbers are continuing to drop,” for the first time that he has seen happen two years in a row, which is something he suggests will need to be watched going forward.
The full budget report can be viewed here.
The Board also unanimously approved a proposal from the Popo Agie Pickleball Club for rehabilitation of the school tennis courts, which the club uses for pickleball matches.
The restoration estimate as it stands is $32,345.40, of which the club is asking the District to pay $17,787.74.
The hope is to have the restoration finished by fall of 2023 at the latest.
While Council Member Brett Berg was in favor of approving the proposal, he did express concerns about what taxpayers might think about their money going toward pickleball courts.
In an effort to address that concern, Sweeney then commented, “One option that we have is the Hudson School fund, that the Region 5 BOCES pays us monthly for, and that money just sits there.”
“I guess you could say maybe in a roundabout way that’s taxpayer dollars, but it is rent being paid by Region 5 BOCES to us.”
Michelle Escudero then asked how much money is in that fund, and Sweeney replied “Between $400,000 and $500,000.”
The Board unanimously also later approved the second reading of a grant funding policy, as well as a request to replace chairs at Baldwin Creek Elementary.
The Board will also offer contracts to the following individuals: Andrew Tauskey (SPED teacher LVHS), Rebecca Meier (Social Worker/Counselor LVHS), Adam Simon (Athletic Trainer LVHS), Beau Pitt (Custodian-sanitizer (1 yr) LMS), Braedyn Richmond (Student Services Secretary GPE/LMS).
The full agenda for the regular meeting can be viewed here.