LCSD1 cuts elementary sports, activities spending in annual budget

Jul. 13—CHEYENNE — With the passage of its annual budget for the upcoming fiscal year, Laramie County School District 1 has eliminated elementary sports, along with reductions in compensation for coaches and activities leaders across the district.

The reduction in student activities will save the district $1.2 million, finance director Jed Cicarelli said during a budget presentation at the district's Board of Trustees meeting Monday evening.

Cicarelli presented data that showed LCSD1's activities spending far outpaced other counties in the state. In one comparison, Cicarelli said that during the 2018-19 fiscal year, Natrona County schools — the next highest spender in the state — spent $286 on each student for activities and does not have an elementary sports program, while Laramie County spent about $378 per student.

"We are one of, if not the last, large district in the state that does have an elementary athletics program," the finance director said.

The district spends about $480,000 annually on elementary activities, according to a May 24 memo from former Superintendent Boyd Brown to trustees detailing planned budget reductions. Close to $442,000 of this amount is spent on personnel.

"In most neighboring school districts, elementary sports programs are made possible through community partnerships as opposed to a sole district endeavor," the memo says, adding that there was potential for elementary track to continue within the school day to reduce costs.

Along with the decrease in activities funding, the budget also includes an end to money dedicated to paying for Advanced Placement tests, reduced funding for travel to out-of-state events for activities, a reduction in contracts and less funding for staff development.

Reductions to staffing were also made through retirements, as well as by using some federal money for COVID-19 assistance to fund time-limited positions.

The budget also eliminates $1.3 million in supplemental funding to Nutrition Services, as the district has received temporary subsidies from the federal government to help feed students in need.

The district's total funding decrease this year is projected to be about $3.8 million, according to a letter from new Superintendent Margaret Crespo included in the budget document. These funding cuts are, in part, a result of declining enrollment — more than 400 fewer students last year — and changes made during the 2020 legislative session, district officials said at the meeting.

This amount was anticipated, with Cicarelli estimating cuts of between $3.5 million and $3.8 million at a Board of Trustees meeting in May.

Additionally, increases in costs for health insurance premiums, utilities, property insurance and staffing will increase the district's operating expenses by about $4.7 million in the coming fiscal year.

Trustee Rich Wiederspahn said he was uneasy about the use of federal dollars to cover temporary staff positions and other budget items without a school funding plan from the legislature.

"I really worry about where we're going to be down the road. You know, we've been extended this lifeline, and this lifeline is going to go away," Wiederspahn said. "If the state doesn't do something within the next five years to address the issue of school funding in the state of Wyoming, we're going to be in a bad place."

Ending the school's elementary-level sports was met with concern by several parents who spoke at the meeting, including one board member, who said her elementary-aged daughter cried when she was told she would no longer be able to play sports at school.

The same trustee noted the Cheyenne Community Recreation District earlier that evening approved a scholarship of $5,000 for students to use toward playing a city-run after school sport.

Still, some parents weren't convinced. Speaking over Zoom, Amanda Johnson said she was worried about low-income students with working parents who may have a hard time finding regular transportation to and from activities outside of school.

"I think one of the nice things about after-school sports is that every student really, truly, if they have their parents' permission, can participate without having to arrange rides and parents taking time off work," Johnson said.

Kathleen Bain spoke about how expensive it was for her son, a single father, to pay for soccer equipment for her grandson, and how after-school sports can give students opportunities to learn.

"Cutting elementary school-age sports is a mistake," Bain said. "That is the introduction to sports, at that age, for most of our community. It gives them an opportunity to see what they like and don't like so when they move into junior high school, they have a little bit of experience. The amount of families in our communities that can afford extracurricular sports outside of the school district is very slim."

Some parents offered potential solutions to the issue, such as having private companies sponsor elementary athletics or asking for a small fee from parents to help continue the program.

In response to a question from board Vice Chair Marguerite Herman, Cicarelli said district staff had looked at every aspect of the budget to create efficiencies before making cuts, and that there are plans for the future when even more drastic cuts may be required.

"We left no stone unturned," he said.

Hannah Black is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's criminal justice reporter. She can be reached at hblack@wyomingnews.com or 307-633-3128. Follow her on Twitter at @hannahcblack.