Recent legislative bills affect local school districts

Discussion of the recently completed Wyoming legislative session highlighted the Big Horn County School District No. 2 school board meeting held Monday, March 10.

Superintendent Doug Hazen presented the monthly focus centered around bills that were passed during the session that will have an impact on the district.

“At least 39 education-related bills passed this session,” Hazen said. “One of the big talking points was the repeal of concealed carry, which will have some policy implications for our district potentially moving forward.”

Those changes will not be put into effect until after the completion of this school year, so the district will be given legal guidance on how to put those alterations into place, Hazen said.

Other legislation that was specifically mentioned that would have outcomes or effects concerned major maintenance, carry-over funds, homeschooling requirements and property taxes.

The recent lawsuit brought against the state by the Wyoming Education Association for failing to satisfy the minimum standards to adequately fund schools was also discussed.

“We weren’t sure what we were going to get for the External Cost Adjustment (ECA) this year,” Hazen reported. “Right after the lawsuit was finalized, the legislature shifted and decided they were going to give the full ECA, which it sounded like they weren’t going to do.”

Although the district doesn’t know what the exact figures will be, it will still be a benefit to overcome the cost of inflation and other things that come with rising costs.

REPORTS

Prior to approving the consent agenda and the previous month’s minutes, audience member Kristin Sanders inquired about a proposal for a multi-district or multi-community theater company or production.

“I’m a believer in, ‘If you build it, they will come,’” Sanders said. “I think it would be really cool to write a grant or try and get that up and running for musicals or other productions.”

The members of the board collectively seemed supportive of the concept, and Hazen suggested reaching out to the BOCES program director Dani Weber as a possible avenue.

In the financial report, business manager Lane Black-Partridge explained that the state’s ECA funding is based on education materials, energy and non-professional and professional labor for the 2025-26 school year.

Partridge also informed the board that she had a Wyoming retirement educator come to the district the previous week and that slots were filled almost immediately and the seminar was very well received.

The board found itself compliant in their leadership governance for the month regarding community relations.

High school principal Craig Lundberg also gave an administration report on the Student Success Team that has been implemented this year to support student growth and achievement.

Academic struggles and rising behavioral concerns are being addressed by this teacher led initiative through structural interventions, and Lundberg gave a synopsis of how this process has been unfolding and the improvements made to the system.

LHS Student Council representative Matthew Allen had members of the wrestling, indoor track, basketball and WAC teams come and give updates on their seasons as some are in their final weeks or recently concluded.

Allen also reported on a student council “swap day” when members of the council toured the Burlington school to learn about how their student council runs and holds their meetings.

OTHER BUSINESS

In old business, the following policies were approved on second and final readings: Policy GDD-Classified staff vacations and holidays, Policy EHA-Student data security and Policy DID-Inventories.

Motions were made to approve changes to policies EHAB and DJ-R on first readings in new business as well as the presented school calendar for the 2026-27 school year.

At 8:05 p.m. the board broke into an executive session to discuss matters of personnel and/or legal matters that necessitate confidentiality that lasted until 8:45 p.m.

Contracts for Partridge, Lundberg, Chris Jensen (LES principal), William Hiser (LMS principal) and Elisha Summers for the 2025-26 school year were all approved.

The board accepted resignations of Rodney Palmer (occupational therapist), Ashley Palmer (substitute occupational therapist), Stephany Durtsche (8th grade head boys basketball coach), Scott Murphey (part-time activity driver) and Nichole Hendershot (LES teacher), and the previous resignations of Sher Jolley and Madison Hecker were rescinded.

Caleb Sanders, Keath Fenton and Jodi Strom were all assigned as technology facilitators at the three school buildings for the remainder of the school year.

For student recognitions, the following students were presented as the Students of the Month: Isaac Sanders (LMS), Jarrett Allen (LHS) and Ella Spanier (LHS CTE).

The meeting was adjourned at 8:51 p.m., and the next board meeting will be held on Monday, April 14, at 7 p.m.