Voters in Albany County School District One will have the chance to vote on May 7th about funding for a new Laramie High School. The state has already allocated nearly $63 million for the school, and the county wants to raise an additional $25 million for enhancements like a pool, tennis courts, and a theater expansion. The money would come from increased property taxes, about three additional dollars per month for every $100,000 of property.
Chairman for the Community Coalition for a new high school, Mike Massie, says the county has traditionally funded its schools almost completely and the state’s support shouldn’t replace that commitment.
“There are 40 school districts in the state of Wyoming, and 39 of them have already passed some form of local revenues to supplement what the state has provided,” says Massie. “As the state increased substantially the amount of funding that it puts into school capital construction over the last 15 years, it was never meant to fully displace everything that locals had put into their schools for the 100 years before that.”
The current high school’s location could be used for a new elementary school, but there are other proposals on the table, as well.
