Covid-19, Trustee Boundary Lines Topics of SCSD#1 Board Work Session

Sheridan County School District #1 School Board held a work session on Tuesday night, Jan. 4, at 5:30 in Big Horn.

Topics discussed by the board included re-drawing the trustee boundary lines, with Dave Engels of Engineering Associates, speaking to the board about the various ways they could redraw the boundaries. Suggestions ranged from forming a seven-member board, and leaving the three boundaries in place, or consolidating two areas into one, so Dayton and Ranchester would be one trustee area, and Big Horn would remain the same.

The board decided to make two areas and retain the 5-member board. According to the plan, there will be one board member from each area, as well as three at-large members. The board will present the proposal at the Jan. 18 board meeting. Once this is passed by the board, SCSD#1 has to file the updated with the county clerk.

The board also discussed early graduation requests, saying they are receiving more requests. They discussed perhaps doing more to keep students in school until graduation, such as work-sturdy programs or more college credit programs where the students can stay in school and take college classes at the same time.

It was mentioned that students could approach the board in person, and talk to them about why they wanted to graduate early and what their future plans were.

Several school policies were discussed, and will be discussed more fully at the upcoming board meeting.

Covid-19 response was discussed, and Superintendent Pete Kilbride presented the board with a paper showing that Wyoming counties are doing well in keeping the Covid-19 numbers low.

Due to the lower numbers of new cases, masks continue to be recommended, but are not required. There was also discussion about the upcoming Wyoming Supreme Court case addressing vaccine mandates for businesses that hire over 100 employees, and SCSD#1 hires more than 200 employees.

Kilbride discussed ways the staff could prove they are vaccinated, and whether the school district should offer incentives to employees to get the vaccination. He also said he would talk to the other superintendents and find out how they planning on handling this, should mandate be upheld by the court. “We will know more come Friday,” Kilbride said.