6 takeaways from Sweetwater County District 2 school board meeting

School board advances plans for multi-million-dollar CTE expansion

New barn for FFA program moves forward

District in strong financial position amid state funding review

Board approves three-year school calendars for 2026-2029

Board receives update on new K-8 curriculum implementation

Champion welding students recognized for competition success

School board advances plans for multi-million-dollar CTE expansion

GREEN RIVER, Wyo. - The Sweetwater County School District #2 Board of Trustees voted unanimously Tuesday to seek qualifications from architectural firms for a major expansion of the Career and Technical Education wing at Green River High School, with preliminary cost estimates ranging from $7 million to $10 million. The vote followed a detailed presentation by Thane Magelky of QC10 Architects, who outlined urgent needs for upgrading outdated systems and alleviating space constraints in the school’s welding, wood shop and agriculture programs. The firm identified inadequate ventilation, a shortage of electrical power and safety challenges in several shops. The board directed staff to move forward with a request for qualifications based on a proposed 6,400-square-foot addition. Trustee Tom Wilson made the motion, stating the board needed to “see what we get” in terms of formal proposals.

New barn for FFA program moves forward

GREEN RIVER, Wyo. - The district’s Future Farmers of America program is a step closer to having a new home for its livestock projects, Superintendent Scott Cooper announced in an update to the board. The district is ordering a metal barn-style facility from a construction company awarded the bid. The structure will be built on district property near the 4-H facilities and will include ten stalls for medium-sized animals like goats and sheep. Once the main structure is built, the district’s maintenance team will install heating and ventilation. Cooper said the facility will provide a much-needed location for students to house and work with live animals.

District in strong financial position amid state funding review

GREEN RIVER, Wyo. - Sweetwater County School District #2 is in a significantly better financial position than many other districts across Wyoming as the state legislature prepares to review its school funding model, according to a report given to the board Tuesday. Business Manager Katie Harder provided an update on the state’s “recalibration” process, noting a draft bill with recommendations from the legislative education committee is expected to be discussed in January. Trustee Michelle Foley, who attended a recent meeting on the topic with Harder, praised the district’s fiscal management. “Our district is in so much better shape than so many districts around the state,” Foley said. “Thank you, Katie, for keeping us on budget.”

Board approves three-year school calendars for 2026-2029

GREEN RIVER, Wyo. - Students, parents and staff in Sweetwater County School District #2 now know their academic schedules for the next several years after the Board of Trustees unanimously approved school calendars for the 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29 school years. The decision followed work by a 45-member calendar committee that met over three nights and analyzed hundreds of community survey responses. According to Superintendent Scott Cooper, the committee weighed quarter length, start and end dates and holiday breaks to create calendars that “meet the best needs for our students and our staff and our community.” Trustee Michelle Foley, who served on the committee, noted the surveys provided “good guidance” in a challenging process.

Board receives update on new K-8 curriculum implementation

GREEN RIVER, Wyo. - The district’s new K-8 English Language Arts and math curricula are being implemented with a strong focus on teacher training and parental transparency, the Board of Trustees learned Tuesday. In an update, Assistant Superintendent Alan Demaret detailed the rollout of the new Houghton Mifflin Harcourt curriculum, highlighting professional development for teachers and new online resources for parents, including searchable curriculum transparency pages on district and state sites. He thanked teachers for their “perseverance” in adopting the new materials, which balance technology with hands-on learning.

Champion welding students recognized for competition success

GREEN RIVER, Wyo. - Six Green River High School welding students were honored by the Board of Trustees for their performance at the SteelDays welding competition, which draws more than 150 students for preliminary rounds at Laramie County Community College and finals at PUMA Steel in Cheyenne. Scholarships at the event have reached up to $5,000 for top finishers in recent years. The welding instructor thanked the board for its continued support of career and technical education.

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