Smaller projects planned for 2020-21 school year

WORLAND – The Worland school board approved capital projects for the upcoming year at their May 25 meeting along with allowing staff movement on the salary schedule steps and lanes for the 2020-21 budget.

According to Business Manager Jack Stott, the two major projects that are set to impact Washakie County School District No. 1 this upcoming year are the final security upgrades to the Worland High School entrance, along with upgrades to the Worland Middle School entrance which Stott said he received final plans for this past week.

These upgrades will provide extra security to front entrances, including bollards along with stronger windows to delay intrusion.

A reading recovery instruction room will be constructed at East Side, so that Worland can become a reading recovery teaching center for Worland teachers and for teachers from other districts.

The other major projects that are planned for the 2020-21 school year include a scoreboard for the middle school fields and a scoreboard for the high school soccer fields.

Upgrades that are also ongoing at this time are carpet upgrades at East Side, along with seal-coating parking lots around the district.

According to Stott, the other capital projects that were approved were simple classroom upgrades that would go unnoticed by most, such as more chairs, tables, band instruments and other minor classroom upgrades.

Smaller projects are a result of the state informing districts to not plan for larger projects that they would typically need state financial assistance. Districts were informed to only perform projects that they have money for in their budgets, as budgets in the coming years are going to be difficult to predict after the economic effects of COVID-19 are expected to decrease revenue state-wide up to 30% from recent projections.

This year’s budget is yet to be finalized, but steps and lanes for salaries have been approved as a reduction in staffing over recent years due to declining enrollment has helped to provide this opportunity.

The district is planning on not filling vacant positions in Worland Middle School social studies, science and technology departments.

Stott said that in the coming years things will not become any easier due to the state budgets and district budgets being unpredictable at this time.