Since 2015, Newton has been LCSD1’s director of instruction. In that role he has directed curriculum, instruction, assessment, accreditation, interventions, professional development, interventions, athletics/activities and federal programs.

Newton is also an adjunct professor at the University of Wyoming for the graduate school in the college of education and served as a professional learning consultant for the Center for Model Schools.

He started his career as a high school teacher in 1995 at Parker Unified School District #27 in Parker, Arizona. Newton then served as an academic professional for the University of Wyoming before assuming a position as a high school teacher at LCSD1’s Central High.

He became an assistant principal at McCormick Junior High before joining Central High as associate principal and then head principal.

Newton graduated from the University of Wyoming (UW) with a bachelor’s degree in biology. He also holds a master’s degree in education, educational leadership and a doctorate in education, curriculum and instruction from UW.

According to LCSD1 Board Chairman Timothy Bolin, the trustees will begin a formal search for a permanent superintendent. More information, including a hiring timeline, will be released soon.

To participate in secondary sports in the 2023–2024 school year, Laramie County School District 1 students must complete a sports physical. To be valid, the physical must have been completed after May 1, 2023. Below are the deadlines for the physicals:

Fall Sports

Volleyball, Cross Country, Girls Swim – Aug. 14

Cheer/Dance – Aug. 14

Winter Sports

 Girls & Boys Basketball – Nov. 20

Girls & Boys Wrestling – Nov. 20

Boys Swimming – Nov. 27

Indoor Track – Jan. 2, 2024

Spring Sports – 2024

 Girls & Boys Soccer – March 4

Outdoor Track – March 4

Softball – March 4

Spring Golf – March 25

Spring Tennis – March 25

Tyler Schwirtz, a student services coordinator for Laramie County School District 1, was recently awarded the Larry Newland scholarship from the Wyoming Association of Special Education Administrators (WASEA).

Weatherford has been with LCSD1 since 2013, when he worked as a Title I Tutor at Arp Elementary. In 2014, he became a teacher at McCormick Junior High before transferring to South in 2017. He teaches senior English and Advanced Placement (AP) literature and composition.

“Paul is a master teacher when it comes to building meaningful relationships with students,” South High social studies teacher and LCSD1’s 2022-2023 Teacher of the Year Erin Lindt said. “Every student in his classroom feels like they are valued, accepted and validated.”

Weatherford holds a master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wyoming.

“To say that Mr. Weatherford is an incredible teacher is an understatement,” South sophomore Lilyahna Christopherson said. “He has been one of the best teachers I’ve had and a guiding force and mentor in my life.”

“He genuinely knows his students and their interests and builds their lives into his instruction. This is the definition of student-centered learning,” Christopherson added.

Weatherford is known for incorporating music into his lessons. His students have said that he softly plays the guitar to reduce stress while they work and that he will make raps to keep his lessons engaging and fun.

He will move on to represent the district in the Wyoming Teacher of the Year competition.

To be selected as the LCSD1 Teacher of the Year, teachers are nominated by students, staff or any other member of the community. Teachers then must fill out an extensive application form, which is reviewed by a selection committee made up of LCSD1 staff from diverse roles and departments in the district, as well as community members.

This year, 20 nominees turned in applications. The selection committee scored the applications and chose three finalists for a final interview.

Along with Weatherford, this year’s finalists were Central High’s Liz Edington and Julie Grant.

Also nominated were Tom Anadiotis, Shelby Brown, Travis Burns, Ishmael Campbell, Ann Christopherson, Marie Havel, Gabriele Kramer, Michelle Maher, Amber Mathisen, Ron Morgan, Courtney Paul, Karen Perez-Sapien, Jennifer Ponce, Talan Premer, Eliza Roth, Dawn Wiley and Lindsey Woods.

All nominees that applied will be recognized at the May 15 Board meeting.

Nineteen Laramie County School District 1 staff members were recognized at the LCSD1 Board of Trustees meeting on Monday, May 1 for being nominated for the Educational Support Person of the Year (ESPY) award.

These individuals were nominated by their fellow staff, their students or other community members for displaying a level of professionalism and dedication worthy of this award. This year, the ESPY selection committee chose to award both a staff member that directly works with students regularly and a staff member that supports the district in other ways.

LCSD1 thanks all of these nominees for their great work.

Ashburn, VA – February 15, 2023 – The Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) is proud to recognize Laramie County School District 1 for excellence in budget presentation with the Pathway to the Meritorious Budget Award (MBA) for the 2022–2023 budget year.

ASBO International’s MBA and Pathway to the MBA promote and recognize best budget presentation practices in school districts. Participants submit their applications and budget documents to a panel of school financial professionals who review the materials for compliance with the MBA Criteria Checklist and other requirements and provide expert feedback that districts can use to improve their budget documents.

Families who reside within the boundaries of Afflerbach, Alta Vista, Arp, Baggs, Cole, Goins, Hebard, Lebhart and Rossman elementary schools are eligible to attend the Title I funded program at their neighborhood school. Registration must be complete prior to the end of the day on March 15 to be considered. Students will be chosen based on a random lottery process.

In addition, LCSD1 will again be offering tuition-based prekindergarten programs at Anderson and Pioneer Park elementary schools. Students may live anywhere within the district’s boundaries and seats are available on a first-come, first served basis. Tuition is $700 per month. A sliding fee scale is also available with income verification.

Both Title I and Tuition Based are full-day programs with certified teachers offering reading, writing and math instruction. Students also have access to P.E., music, art, and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), as well as breakfast and lunch options.

Any child who has turned 4 years old by Aug. 1, 2023 is eligible to attend. Children who have turned 5 years old on or before Aug. 1, 2023 are eligible for kindergarten.

To register, visit the district’s website, www.laramie1.org. Look for the green box titled “online registration” on the homepage and select the “new student” button.

Once online registration is complete parents must contact their school of choice to finalize their enrollment in the program.

For assistance with online registration, contact the LCSD1 service desk at 771-2242 or servicedesk@laramie1.org. For more information about the prekindergarten programs, contact Stephanie Bogue at 771-2187.

As part of the Student Readiness strand of LCSD1’s Strategic Plan, conversations with stakeholders revealed community interest in students’ participating in dual enrollment courses. However, after meeting with students the district team learned students were not enrolling in part because the schedule interfered with courses needed back at their high schools. With this knowledge in hand, schedules were changed, and the information was communicated. LCSD1 leaders anticipate dual enrollment course participation will more than triple.

“At Laramie County School District 1, our goal is to prepare students for their future through an engaging and enduring education,” Crespo said. “By making this change we are now able to provide our students with the opportunity to enroll in these programs and graduate from high school with college credit.”

As a district, we have highlighted Student Readiness, Community Engagement and Healthy Environment as the three most important areas of focus to offer our students. However, as students such as the Arp Ambassadors can show us, improvements in those three areas can come from all directions.

At Arp Elementary School, student leaders have been making strides to help their fellow students, their school and their community. Recently, the Ambassadors conducted a “Penny Wars” fundraiser, for which classrooms competed to fill an empty container with pennies and bills for points. Silver coins could be added to another classroom’s jar to deduct points. In total, the fundraiser earned $3,400, which was shared between Arp and LCSD1’s Parent Engagement and Educational Partnerships with Schools (PEEPS) program.

Olivia Elsasser, a fifth grader and Arp Ambassador, said, “I helped sort the money into positive and negative (point) amounts. I felt happy when it was complete because we gave PEEPS $1,704 to refill their donation closet.”

The Arp Ambassadors were recognized at the LCSD1 Board of Trustees meeting on Feb. 6 for their success.

Penny Wars is just one of several programs the Arp Ambassadors have helmed. They have also conducted projects such as canned food drives, Day of Giving, cold-weather gear drives, and the “Socktober” drive, where the Ambassadors collected 1,654 pairs of socks which were donated to the COMEA House and Resource Center, the Cheyenne Foster Closet and Needs.

“We wanted to take out the election piece and make it more of an interview process to find the leaders of Arp to help promote our community in school,” she said. “Students will apply, then a panel will look at the applications and choose based off of their application, attendance and school behavior.”

After the ambassadors are selected, they sign a behavior and attendance contract.

One ambassador, Angelina Meza, said she applied because she wants to help other people. Keelie Roetman said she wants to make the school a “fun place to be” for staff and students. Tayla Nevarez said she wants to help stop bullying, Olivia Elsasser said she wants to keep students informed on how to stay involved with their school, and Gabe Campos said he applied to help with fundraisers that make their school and community better.

Though they may have applied for a variety of reasons, the student leaders that become Arp Ambassadors say their overall goal is to make their school and community a better place.

“(The Ambassador program) is allowing kids to come out of their shell,” Ceballos said. “It builds their confidence in a positive way and allows them to feel comfortable voicing their opinion, and knowing that they can make a difference, even when it’s just them.”

Ceballos said she has also seen ambassadors help handle uncomfortable situations on the playground or take on the role of positive leaders when substitutes or guests are in the building. She said the ambassadors come to her with fundraising ideas or school activities that they’ve heard from a classmate, “which is awesome because it’s building the community.”

Arp Ambassador Tayla Navarez said she thinks the Ambassador program should spread throughout the community.

“I would be happy if other schools had an ambassador program because it would help more schools and more parts of our community,” Nevarez said.

—Text by Brad White

Laramie County School District 1’s four-year graduation rate reached 80.14% in the 2021-2022 school year.

“In spite of the challenges this cohort of students experienced, we are very proud of their success and perseverance to graduate on time,” Superintendent Dr. Margaret Crespo said.

Graduation rates for students with Individual Education Plans (IEPs) increased 15% over the past two cohorts. The district also saw a significant increase in our minority populations across the district with an 82.3% rate. This is 13.2% increase over the same time period.

“As freshmen coming into high school in 2018, we realize our students were faced with unique challenges in navigating a high school experience by the end of their cohort year of 2022,” Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Jim Fraley said. “The Wyoming Department of Education begins the four-year timeframe for all students to graduate as soon as they begin ninth grade. Students beginning their high school transition as freshmen experienced uncertainty and a path they had not undergone in prior years. Some chose virtual learning, home school, pursued a GED program, or even took a ‘time out’ from school to adapt to a changing environment. Oftentimes, these students then fall out of their cohort track to graduate on time.”

Crespo said, “We would like to acknowledge our amazing staff and students for their hard work. The pandemic posed several challenges for our students, staff and families. This is a testament to all the tireless work within our schools as they managed these unique circumstances.

“Moving forward, we will continue to provide support for every child as we work together to address the growth opportunities for our students as a means to increasing our graduation rate. The district recognizes the importance of giving every student the opportunity to graduate.”

Students who did not meet the graduation deadline for their four-year cohort are still eligible for late graduation.

“We celebrate a completion rate that continues to show the promise of not giving up on students even when they do not meet the four-year cohort benchmark,” Crespo said. “Through a comprehensive and collaborative team approach, LCSD1 will respond by adapting to meet the needs of our learners in the district. Our goal is to ensure that our students remain on track to graduate.”

For more information on LCSD1 graduation rates for the 2021-2022 school year, please visit the Wyoming Department of Education website or call 771-2188.

Returning families with students enrolled in Laramie County School District 1 schools will complete annual online registration and address verification Jan. 23-Feb. 10 using their Infinite Campus portal account.

As part of registration, families are required to review and update their students’ information as well as verify their address. Examples of suggested forms of address verification include:

• Rental agreement, purchase agreement or electric/gas bill.
• Documents of public agencies; e.g., courts, Department of Family Services medical coupon or showing parent’s or guardian’s or adult student’s name and address.
• Official court documents establishing a legal guardianship and the guardian’s residency.
• Parents/guardians without proof of residency documentation are advised to contact their neighborhood school for enrollment assistance.

To allow families more flexibility, parents/guardians who would like their child to attend a school other than their neighborhood school should submit a boundary waiver form. Forms will be accepted through April 30.

All families should complete registration by Feb. 10 to ensure their child’s seat is reserved.

To save time, returning families may log into their Infinite Campus parent portal. The online registration application will be pre-populated with your information. User name and password will be needed. For assistance, contact the Service Desk at 771-2242. During the online registration window, the Service Desk will be operating with extended hours and will be available Monday-Thursday from 7 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday from 7 a.m.-4 p.m., and Saturday from 8:30-11:30 a.m.

Kindergarten families who are not yet enrolled may do so as a new family registration. If these students have older siblings who are already enrolled, they will be added to their families’ application as new students. Proof of address, birth certificate or passport, and current immunization records must be provided. For enrollment assistance, contact your neighborhood school.

Kindergarten students must be 5 years old on or before Aug. 1, 2023. If your child turns 5 years old between Aug. 1 and Sept. 15, information about early entry may be obtained through your neighborhood school principal.

In early June, parents/guardians who have completed registration and address verification will receive notification of their child’s school placement for 2023-2024. Those parents/guardians who have completed a boundary waiver by April 30, will also be notified of their child’s school placement in early June. If a boundary waiver is submitted after April 30, it will not be considered until after new student registration in August.

Throughout the summer, families new to the district will complete online registration and address verification in person at the district’s administration building, 2810 House Ave., or at any of the district’s secondary school campuses, except Triumph High. In mid-August, this process will be completed at the student’s neighborhood school.

Neighborhood schools can be found by entering the parent/guardian’s address on the district website: www.laramie1.org. Click on “About Us,” “Who We Are,” “School Maps and Boundaries.”

Returning elementary students that have moved during the summer have the option to attend school at the location verified in the spring for the upcoming school year (families must provide their own transportation) or may attend their neighborhood school.

Parents/guardians will receive an elementary class list notification in August.

For more information contact the service desk, 771-2242 or servicedesk@laramie1.org.

Prairie Winds student Avi Williams and Davis student Bentley Weese test out their new tricycles. Courtesy photos.