Superintendent spotlights crisis

Shane Sellers
NLJ Reporter
 
Officials at Weston County School District #1 expressed concern for the well-being of a number of children in the community in a letter sent to parents and other stakeholders earlier this month, and school board members were told at their meeting last week that the letter was an effort to involve community members in improving the culture and climate for youth.
WCSD #1 Superintendent Brad LaCroix added emphasis Wednesday night to the open letter he sent to community members last week seeking help “in identifying and intervening on behalf of children who may be in danger of running away, dropping out of school, or contemplating suicide.”
The message was a red rocket alarm, far different in tone and topic than most welcome back to school letters issued in the fall.  
 “We are reaching out at this time to inform you of the growing concern we have over the social and mental well-being of a significant number of our young people since the school year began,” the District’s Chief Administrator wrote.  
Calls in response to the superintendent’s letter have been many.  
Speaking candidly, LaCroix told the school board that “culture” is the biggest problem right now.  
 “It’s not just students, and not just schools. It’s a community issue,” he said pointedly.  “We have forgotten what was learned in kindergarten, that if you have nothing good to say, then say nothing.”   
 
Board takes stance on special needs funding
WCSD #1 Trustee Tom Wright suggested that the school district should weigh-in on the issue of special education funding, a discussion topic pending consideration by the Wyoming Legislature. At issue is the way state funds will be applied to school districts to cover programs for special needs students.  
According to Special Education Director Tobey Cass, the state used to provide funding according to the individual needs of affected students. Under the practice, school districts were reimbursed at 100 percent of the costs incurred to service special program participants.  
Recently, the reimbursement practice was ended in favor of a “capped system” that limits the amount of money school districts may be allowed to recoup. According to Cass, the system is unfair because special needs program costs are not uniform throughout the state, particularly in small districts like Weston County where travel cost alone can gobble-up the lion’s share of allowable expenses. 
Tom Wright favors the old way of financing special needs programs, seeing 100 percent reimbursement beneficial to the district and, most importantly, critical to adequately addressing the individual needs of affected students.  
Accordingly, Wright moved that Weston County School District #1 draft a stance paper urging the Wyoming Legislature to revive total reimbursement funding for special needs programs, and to weigh the impact to individual students when considering future funding changes. John Riesland seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.