Buses on hold — School district weighs budget, enrollment

Weston County School District No. 1 is hesitating to purchase new buses amid financial uncertainty. Superintendent Brad LaCroix told board members at the Dec. 10 meeting that he recommends going out to bid but cautioned against committing to purchases before reviewing enrollment trends and long-term financial impacts.

Bids will be solicited for one 75-passenger school bus for the 2026-27 school year and a nine-passenger Suburban for the 2025-26 school year, but the board will not move forward with purchases until it has a clearer picture of the district’s budget.

LaCroix said declining student enrollment raises questions about whether the district needs a large bus or would be better served by a smaller vehicle, such as a Suburban.

He said the state provides recommendations for bus replacement, but enrollment declines could require staff reductions to balance salaries and benefits. Even though transportation funds are separate, he said, the public could perceive staff reductions paired with new bus purchases as a lack of transparency.

According to the superintendent, the district’s current situation stems in part from decisions made after the bus barn burned down several years ago, and much of the fleet was replaced at the same time, causing replacement cycles to align. With declining enrollment, staffing shortages and the possibility of reduced state funding, the district is reviewing transportation operations, including route consolidation, potential route eliminations and the cost of isolation pay, LaCroix said.

The challenge is compounded by a driver shortage. Jason Jenkins, a member of the board’s transportation committee, said the district’s transportation staffing situation has not improved. He noted that the district currently has two drivers covering
eight routes.

The distance teams are required to travel to compete against similar-sized Wyoming schools has also exacerbated the transportation situation. According to LaCroix, the district has, for a long time, justified certain expenses, such as travel, because it would be reimbursed by the state. He said the district’s earlier decision not to join the Black Hills Conference was based in part on the assumption that the state would cover higher travel costs. Had the district joined the Black Hills Conference, travel distances would have been significantly shorter
than those required by the district’s current conference, he said.

LaCroix said he is increasingly skeptical that reimbursement will continue at current levels, particularly given recent federal-level changes. He also pointed to repeated errors in the state funding model over the past four years that have reduced district funding rather than increased it. While there is a desire to maintain long-standing practices, rising costs and funding uncertainty mean changes are likely, he said.

“Something’s going to have to give,” LaCroix said.

He said the district may need to operate with fewer resources, including not restoring all positions. In transportation, he said, that creates a compounding challenge: Buses may be available, but driver shortages can prevent them from being used. LaCroix said staff shortages could lead to some coaches driving buses in addition to coaching.

Transportation Director Troy Allen told the board that bus replacement and maintenance costs are becoming a growing concern as the fleet ages. One bus is scheduled for replacement in the 2026-27 school year, followed by six more the following year, he said.

Many of the district’s activity buses have between 150,000 and 210,000 miles, and repair costs are increasing, placing additional strain on maintenance staff, Allen said. Declining participation in some sports has led the district to rely more heavily on Suburbans rather than buses, largely
due to driver shortages. Teachers and coaches have stepped in to help transport students when needed, but staffing remains tight, he said.

Allen said the district has also relied on Suburbans to cover multiple routes and activities when route drivers are unavailable.

The life cycle for type D and type C buses is 17 years, while Suburbans and type A vehicles have a 15-year life cycle, Allen said.

Business manager Angela Holliday said state code allows districts to operate buses beyond those life-cycle benchmarks as long as the vehicles are deemed safe.

LaCroix said enrollment remains his top concern.

“It’s going to affect personnel,” he said. “I’ll come right out and tell you: We’re overstaffed.”

LaCroix said he will provide the board with a list of new positions he would like the district to add, along with areas where he believes the district could cut back without eliminating student programs.

“News flash — nobody’s going to be happy,” he said.

School Shorts

Notes from the Dec. 10, 2025, meeting of the Weston County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees

The Weston County School District No. 1 board delayed organizational decisions at its Dec. 10 meeting after a tie vote for board chair.

Vice Chairman Jason Jenkins and Clerk Billy Fitzwater were nominated for the position, but the board split evenly among members present. On legal advice, the board tabled decisions on committee assignments, officer positions and meeting dates for the coming year, aside from setting the next meeting for Jan. 14.

Treasurer Joe Prell, Tyler Mills and Fitzwater were absent from the meeting. Chair Dana Mann-Tavegia will remain chair until a new chair is elected.

Mann-Tavegia said she would like to reduce the number of board committees from eight to five to improve efficiency, including combining the district’s two transportation committees. The board has a committee on transportation routes and salaries and a committee on transportation maintenance and new vehicles.

Newcastle High School Principal Bryce Hoffman said the school’s career and trade fair is scheduled for Feb. 18. As of Dec. 10, 65 local and regional businesses, military branches and colleges had confirmed participation. Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder may also attend, Hoffman said.

Business manager Angela Holliday reported that the school pool liner replacement project cost $247,150. Donations covered $137,112.70 of the total, with $70,000 paid from major maintenance 10% funds and $40,040 from the general fund.

The Eastern Weston County Public Recreation District meeting was canceled due to leadership absences.