Cody School Board Forced to Make Cuts

The Cody School Board is facing some difficult financial decisions.

At the board’s work session this week, Trustees were given a thorough presentation of what cuts in the state legislature will mean for Park County School District 6 in particular.

Among the cuts that are proposed, the Gate program, a gifted and talented program, would be eliminated. However, Mike Wood, principal at Livingston Elementary, assured the board that those students will not be left behind – in fact, this change could actually increase their quality of education.

Board Member Stefanie Bell also expressed her concern that programs like Equus, the journalism program at the High School, be protected when decisions are made to make further financial cuts.

Other board members echoed Bell’s sentiment about the importance of the journalism program, and assistant principal of Cody High School Jeremiah Johnston said that they have no plans to eliminate that program at this time.

School Superintendent Ray Shulte explained that in looking at personnel cuts, tech support for the district will be cut in half. In other efforts to make financial changes, Activities Director Tony Hult presented a proposal to raise activity fees and restructure team travel schedules to allow for fewer overnight stays in hotels.

The School Board and Staff will be presenting these proposed changes to the public at a meeting on Wednesday evening, March 15^th, at 6 p.m. in the Wynona Thompson Auditorium.