GOSHEN COUNTY – The monthly meeting of the Goshen County School Board of Trustees was held on Tuesday, March 11, at Torrington High School as part of the board’s desire to travel to each school in the district. Present at the meeting were board members Val Sharp, Chris Alexander, Wade Phipps, Tony Goulart, Dylan Hager, Kate Steinbock, Kelly Strampe, Sarah Chaires and Lena Moeller, district personnel Ryan Kramer, Marcy Cates, Loreen Fitlzer and Kevin Derby were also in attendance. The district student body representatives Kaiten Schilreff (Lingle-Ft. Laramie) and Kaycee Kosmicki (Southeast High School) and Aaron Dykes (Platte River School) and Keeng Velasquez (Torrington High School) were also in attendance. A meet and greet and building tour took place prior to the regular meeting.

Chairman Moeller called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. The board moved on to approve the meeting’s agenda which contained no addendum. The board then moved on to item four on the agenda where the second public comment session was held regarding the proposed 2025-26 and 2025-27 school year calendars. With no participants, the board moved on to item five of the agenda. Kaiten Schilreff and Kaycee Kosmicki were sworn into office as student body representatives from Lingle-Ft. Laramie and Southeast High School, completing the student portion of the board.

Moving on to item 5.2 on the agenda, Moeller asked for committee reports and Sharp provided a report from the district policy committees. 

“We have recommended deletion of policy 5115, which is in our packet on page 101. We have revised two policies during that committee meeting 3611 and 4300 and they’re both in the packet as well,” Sharp noted. “They are on building and grounds and non-discrimination and anti-harassment and then we proposed a new policy on artificial intelligence (AI) that’s on page 107. There are a few other policies that we didn’t get to but they will be coming.”

Reporting for the District Activity Advisory Council (DAAC), Alexander noted the council had met on March 12 where they discussed adding soccer to the list of sports in the school district. 

“We, basically, went over middle school soccer. We’re talking about how many boys and girls we have that are looking at participating, any equipment that we might need,” Alexander said. “I believe middle school soccer will probably come to the board in April.”

Alexander noted the council had also discussed skeet lettering for grades 9-12. 

“We went over girls wrestling. Mostly, the biggest thing was we got so many kids that are interested and so many programs going now is the practice times, having room for all of the kids to get in and do the practicing,” Alexander stated.

Alexander noted there is a sportsmanship summit approaching for students and parents. 

“We will discuss, actually, tomorrow morning (Wednesday) the proposal for adding middle school soccer as a district sport. With that will be the potential cost and then what numbers we have as potential activities and then what will happen then is the DAAC committee will decide whether to move that forward to the board for their consideration and that would come before the board at the April board meeting,” Kramer explained.

For the recreation board, Hager noted this year they had received around 20 applicants with a pretty wide range of recreational activities from swimming pools to walking paths and youth sports in the community. 

“Without the rec board funds – there’s a lot of the majority of youth sports wouldn’t really be operational without these funds just the way our community operates and we’re thankful for that,” Hager noted. “Not everybody got what they were asking for but we tried to spread it out the best we could.”

Hager also explained this year there was about $100,000 cut from the recreation board budget. Moeller noted it was a very long meeting but a productive one and she further the allocation was a really good thing for the district and county.

The board then moved on to the school presentation by Torrington High School where principal Alan Van Tilburg presented current information on the school. Van Tilburg noted student participation rate had increased. Van Tilburg noted a goal was that every student graduate with at least one career and technical education (CTE) pathway. After a brief discussion on CTE pathways and what they might look like for students, the board moved on to item 6, public comment, of the agenda.

With no participants for public comment, the board moved on to the consent agenda. 

“Before we move through every enumerated piece on the consent agenda, does anyone wish to pull any of the items listed?” Moeller asked. 

With no item pulled, a motion was made to accept the consent agenda, which was quickly seconded. The motion carried by vote and the consent agenda was approved.

The board moved on to new business where they approved the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school year calendars, as presented in 8.1. The staff recommendation was to approve the calendars as presented for submission to the Wyoming Department of Education by April 1, 2025, for final approval by the Wyoming State Board of Education.

Under item 8.2, the board considered approval of the proposed revisions to the district contracts.

“This is just a slight revision to the principal contracts that’s been recommended by our legal counsel,” Moeller said. 

A motion was made and seconded which passed by vote. The revisions to the district contracts were approved as presented and the board moved on to item 8.3, where they were to consider the approval of administrator contracts for the 2025-2026 school year. 

On item 8.3, the board moved to approve district contracts with the following:  Lana Swingholm - Principal of Lincoln Elementary, Tyler Floerchinger - Principal of Trail Elementary, Jim English - Assistant Principal of Torrington Middle School, Alan Van Tilburg - Torrington High School, Cory Gilchriest - Principal of Lingle Ft. Laramie Schools, Tim Williams - Principal of Southeast Schools, Matt Daily - Principal of (1/4 time) LaGrange Elementary, Lindsay Maxey - Principal of (1/4 time) Platte River School, Kevin Derby - Director of Curriculum & Instruction, and Data Management, Trina Nichol - Special Services Director and Marcy Cates - District Business Manager. 

Under item 8.4, the board moved on to approve the agreement waiving teacher continuing contract status for transition to administrator salary schedule where they approved the use of the document and payment of $500 per incurred use from the general fund. 

On item 8.5 the board voted to offer a teaching contract for the 2025-2026 school year to Cody Peachey as a physical education teacher at Lingle-Ft. Laramie K-12.

The board moved on to item 8.6 where they voted to offer an employment agreement to Amber Fulk as a School Nurse at Torrington Middle School, Torrington High School and Platte River School for the 2025-2026 school year.

Next on to item 8.7 where they voted to accept the resignation submitted by Lingle-Ft. Laramie High School English teacher Shelbie Hanlon, and the resignation submitted by Lincoln Elementary first grade teacher Jamie Brimer, both effective May 28, 2025.

The board continued to pass items 8.8, a Memorandum of Understanding with Eastern Wyoming College; item 8.9, renewing the with Wyoming Educator’s Benefit Trust for District Health Insurance Coverage for the 2025-2026 school year; 8.10, contracting with Frontline Education for the renewal of Absence and Time Solution subscription from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, in the total amount of $25,009.60 from the general fund and 8.11, approving a contract with The Writing Revolution for professional development services for district teachers and administrators during March and April 2025 not to exceed $17,850 funded by Title II and WY-BILT Bil Grant.

Next, the board moved on to item 8.12 where the board reconsidered the approval of approval of a previous agenda item from the May 28, 2024, special meeting. The recommendation was for the board to ratify the prior vote approving a contract with Premier Environmental for the asbestos abatement of the Torrington High School tech ed building in the amount of $98,050. Chaires made a motion to approve the item which was seconded by Strampe.

“I’d like to give a little bit of an explanation of what we’re doing here,” Moeller said before calling for a vote on the matter. “The board is being asked to ratify a previous vote that took place not quite – over 10 months ago. This is the result of receiving numerous public records requests. I personally have produced my own text messages and emails as has Mr. Kramer. There’s been a ton of back and forth with Mr. Peterson’s attorney. There have been significant attorney fees occurred as a result of this and a significant amount of time wasted. But as a result, we want to protect the school district and make sure that if an audit is ever conducted, we have ratified this vote to make sure that we are protected on covered.”

Moeller further explained the issue with the agenda item was that two members appeared via Zoom.

“This had to do with a vote that occurred, as I said, 10 months ago to approve the contract with Premier Environmental for the asbestos abatement of the Torrington High School tech ed building in the amount of $98,050. At that particular meeting, then reason that it is being questioned is there were two members via Zoom that day and three sitting in the boardroom. Trustee Phipps had moved to approve the contract with Premier Environmental, trustee Alexander seconded and the motion was carried unanimously, but we are required to vote on it again to ratify it,” Moeller said.

With no further questions or comments from the board members, Moeller called for a vote. Voting in favor of approving the item was Hager, Chaires, Phipps, Steinbock, Strampe and Moeller; voting abstain were Goulart, Sharp and Alexander. The motion carried. 

Next, the board moved on to item 8.13 where they reconsidered the approval of a previous agenda item from the July 17, 2024, special meeting where the board approved maintaining adult and ala cart meal prices for the 2024-2025 school year. Chaires had the motion to accept the reconsideration which was then seconded. 

“So just an explanation, the board is being asked to ratify a prior vote from July 17, 2024, to approve maintaining adult and ala cart meal prices for the 2024-2025 school year as presented,” Moeller explained. “That particular special meeting we had five present in the boardroom. I appeared by Zoom. I had notified the board more than a week prior that I would be attending by Zoom. Trustee Hager moved to approve maintaining adult and ala cart meal prices for the 2024-2025 school year as presented, trustee Phipps seconded.”

Moeller went on to explain Alexander had stated parents need to be responsible for their children and the price would make parents more dependent on the school district and voted against approving the prices. The motion carried thereafter in the July meeting. Moeller noted this request to ratify was the result of more public records requests. Kramer clarified the price was only for adult and ala cart meal prices. With no further comments or questions, Moeller called for a vote. Hager, Chaires, Phipps, Steinbock, Strampe and Moeller; voting abstain were Goulart, Sharp and Alexander. The motion carried.

Moving on the board approved items 8.14, the purchase and installation of nine sets of cabinets for THS classrooms from Eakes Office Solutions in the total amount of $11,884.50 from capital construction funds; 8.15, contracting with Pittman Electric for the installation of fixtures and lights in the middle school gym, and the installation of LED bulbs in the high school gym in the total amount of $15,300 from the major maintenance fund; 8.16, contracting with Asbestos and Technical Services Inc. for the asbestos abatement of the THS auditorium in the total amount of $43,166 contingent upon a construction contract being awarded at the May 2025 board meeting for the THS auditorium upgrade project from the major maintenance fund and item 8.17, contracting with Painting Unlimited for painting at Platte River School in the total amount of $14,587 from the general fund.

Next, the board approved items 8.18, contracting with Long’s Tree Spraying for district tree spraying in the total amount of $14,874 from the general fund; 8.19, deleting district policy 1300/5115 as presented; 8.20, the proposed revisions to district policy 3621as presented on the introduction and first reading; 8.21, the proposed revisions to District Policy 4300/5100 as presented on the introduction and first reading; 8.22, the proposed new district policy 4345/5129, artificial intelligence, as presented on the introduction and first reading; 8.23, renewing district transportation SmartBus WiFi connectivity service with Kajeet from July 2025-June 2026 in the amount of $26,947, funded by ERATE and item 8.24 contracting with ConvergeOne for Cisco Meraki licensing for 90 district network switches and 150 district WiFi access points in the total amount of $60,950.72.

On item 8.25, the board considered the approval of changing the regular board meeting start time. It was recommended to change the start time of the regular board meetings which are held on the second Tuesday of each month from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m. A motion was made and seconded.

Moeller opened discussion where she stated when the meetings run long, it makes for a long day for everyone involved. Hager noted he was concerned about the meetings board members needed to attend before the regular session. Phipps noted he was worried about the change cutting into board member’s days. Goulart agreed with Phipps and noted he was concerned for the public. Sharp also agreed school staff and families might struggle to attend the meeting with an earlier start time. Chaires noted the City of Torrington had just recently changed their meeting time to an earlier time to help their staff not have such a long day. Chaires agreed with Moeller noting the longer the meetings are, the less fresh the board members’ minds are. 

With no further comments or questions, Moeller called for a vote where Sharp, Alexander, Goulart and Phipps voted against the motion and Hager, Chaires, Stienbock, Moeller and Strampe voted in favor. The motion carried five to four and the next board meeting will start at 6 p.m.

Next, the board moved on to discussion under item nine of the agenda where Hager opened the discussion on increasing the purchase amount which needs board approval. Hager stated there a few of the agenda items every meeting which are purchases exceeding $5,000 and require the board’s approval. It was noted the purchase amount had been the same for many years. Kramer suggested taking the idea to the committee and further researching what other districts are doing. The district also provided a recap on legislative activity noting final numbers are not available yet. 

Moving on item 10, the board noted salary relations committee will be meeting on Wednesday, March 19 from 12:30 - 5:30 p.m., and again on Friday, April 4 starting at 8:00 a.m. The next regular board meeting will be on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at Lincoln Elementary at 6 p.m. and public officer training sessions for newly elected board members are scheduled for March 27 and 29, 2025. 

The meeting wrapped up after discussing an update on current 2024-2025 school year student enrollment numbers, 2025 legislative session update and District copier lease information and requests for proposals. The meeting was then adjourned to reconvene on Tuesday, April 8 at Lincoln Elementary.