The Natrona County School District 1 Board of Trustees has unanimously approved a $352.9 million budget for fiscal year 2027. This marks a decrease of roughly $75 million from the previous year’s budget.
Budget Breakdown
The budget includes $265.4 million for the general fund, which serves as the district’s primary operating account. Most of the general fund is represented in salaries and employee benefits, totaling $204.5 million.
Trustee Jenifer Hopkins expressed concern about declining enrollment, stating that the drop in births over time doesn’t account for the decline in enrollment at higher grade levels. She suggested that parents are choosing other educational options for their children.
Enrollment and Funding Challenges
Total enrollment is projected at 11,155 students for FY27, continuing a downward trend in Natrona County. The district met a legislative mandate to achieve an average teacher salary of $73,056 for the new fiscal year.
The budget also includes a new $10 million equipment replacement fund and a $5 million student technology replacement fund. The district has been affected by the passage of the statewide recalibration bill, Senate File 81, which implemented changes to the state’s education resource block grant model.
Original reporting: Oil City News (Casper WY) — read the source article.
