The Laramie County School District 1 Board of Trustees authorized roughly $6 million in facility upgrades, service contracts and legal expenses at its regular meeting this week, while also appointing a new principal for Prairie Wind Elementary School.
The board moved through its agenda swiftly, approving all items within roughly 10 minutes following public comment and board reports. The matters were largely procedural, drawing little discussion.
The largest single expenditure was a $1.15 million contract with Reiman Corp. for the replacement of the district’s Transportation Fuel Island — an infrastructure update driven in part by a shift in the district’s bus fleet away from diesel toward gasoline. Approximately $1 million of that cost will be drawn from major maintenance funds, with the remainder coming from special building reserves.
The board also approved a $499,500 contract with Richardson Construction Inc. for a full replacement of the Alta Vista school parking lot, including demolition of the existing surface and reconstruction of drive areas, curbs, gutters and sidewalks, along with ADA compliance upgrades, drainage improvements, lighting and landscaping.
Security fencing at Triumph High School and Willadsen Elementary School will move forward under a $64,868 contract with Alco Fence Co., and the board authorized $213,200 to repair 28 district vehicles damaged by hail, with costs covered by insurance proceeds and the facilities management budget.
A $2 million allocation for specialized therapy staffing and nearly $1.3 million in food service contracts rounded out the evening’s major expenditures. The board also approved $100,000 in supplemental legal services through Parker Poe Attorneys and Counselors for matters requiring outside counsel, such as conflict-of-interest situations or litigation support beyond routine district operations.
In a rare moment of levity, the board approved a $63 corrective payment to Advanced Roofing Technologies to resolve a clerical error in a previously authorized roofing contract, bringing the final figure to $693,403.
“It’s not very often we get a vote on $63 items,” board Chair Alicia Smith said.
On the personnel front, the board appointed Brandon Anderson as principal of Prairie Wind Elementary, effective for the 2026-27 academic year. Superintendent Stephen Newton praised the selection of Anderson, describing him as a product of the district who had built his career within it.