Superintendent Matt Erickson stepped into the SVI Radio studio on Tuesday, November 25 for his monthly report from Lincoln County School District #2. Erickson discussed the district staying with the 4/5 hybrid calendar, completion of the new crosswalk on Highway 89 near Etna Elementary and also a report on potential legislation that would impact the funding model for school districts across the state.

(0:00) Monthly report from Lincoln County School District number two, Superintendent Matt Erickson in (0:04) studio. (0:05) Superintendent, happy Thanksgiving week. (0:07) You have, well, just a little over 24 hours until the break for the holiday.

(0:13) Yeah, thanks for having me, Duke. (0:14) It’s a great time of year, and yeah, we have so much to be thankful for. (0:20) Absolutely.

(0:21) Well, let’s talk about some things happening in the school district. (0:23) Of course, one of the big topics of conversation from the most recent board meeting was the (0:27) recommendation from the board to continue with the hybrid calendar. (0:32) So we’re glad that we’re at this point, and we’ve got our directive now, and so we’re (0:39) working hard behind the scenes and involving a lot of people as to putting together what (0:44) we feel would be the most common sense hybrid, with a goal to be about 162 days, and also (0:53) a goal, I don’t know if we’ll be able to pull this off every year, but it’s looking like (0:57) at least for the next couple of years at one five-day week per month for Star Valley students.

(1:06) So that’s our goal. (1:08) Now, as you and I have talked about in the past, this directive will go for the next, (1:12) what, four to five years or so? (1:15) Is that correct? (1:16) Sorry about that. (1:17) No, it’s all right.

(1:18) Next four to five years, is that right? (1:20) Correct, yeah. (1:21) So the state school board who has final adoption of an alternate calendar will adopt a (1:27) calendar out two years. (1:29) So we’ll get the calendar approved by our local board for the next two school years, (1:37) and then we’ll get it to the state board by spring, but the direction from the current (1:44) school board is for the next five-ish years that we’re going to be on a hybrid and the (1:50) way we go.

(1:51) All right. (1:52) That’ll be much more efficient on our time. (1:54) And then also we have a goal to, we’re going to build framework or skeletal calendars for (2:02) three, four, and five years out from now, and to just put them on our website with a (2:07) big disclaimer that they’re not approved, but just so that families can plan.

(2:12) Okay. (2:12) Yeah, I like that. (2:13) And again, this is just for Star Valley, Cokeville remains unchanged, right? (2:17) Correct.

(2:18) Cokeville will remain on a true four-day week. (2:21) Okay. (2:21) Yeah.

(2:21) Super. (2:22) One thing that we will, we also have a goal that obviously Cokeville’s teachers will kick (2:30) off the same day that Star Valley’s do, its staff, and then, and the same. (2:35) Okay.

(2:35) So, yeah. (2:36) Superintendent Matt Erickson in studio this morning from LCSD number two. (2:40) Also I know a lot of families and students and staff in Aetna were excited to see the (2:46) crosswalk moved.

(2:47) That’s been a project a long time coming that’s been completed. (2:49) You know, Duke, we’ve been working on that for over a decade and just had the right ingredients (2:56) come together this fall. (2:58) And we very much appreciate YDOT.

(3:02) Shout out to Sheriff Shane Johnson and his staff. (3:08) And then the local school board got involved and leaned in a little bit on this as well, (3:14) but we’ve had multiple meetings and yeah, it’s a wonderful thing. (3:19) We’re very pleased and grateful that YDOT accommodated the change.

(3:25) So we’ll have a crossing guard in the near future and yeah, it’s much safer. (3:33) Well, it is, it is, if I’m not mistaken, the only school in the district that’s right on (3:38) 89, right? (3:40) So it’s, it’s the busiest, correct, busiest spot in the district. (3:44) Correct.

(3:45) Yeah. (3:46) Superintendent, what else is happening in LCS number two you’d like to mention? (3:49) I would just mention that obviously we’re in the recalibration process and that’s something (3:55) that’s done every five years on school funding. (3:59) And it’s a 12 member, 12 members of the legislature that’s called a select committee, joint select (4:07) committee for finances of recalibration.

(4:10) There’s been multiple meetings over the last, well, during the interim. (4:14) The final meetings are coming up 20 something of January and Cheyenne, but obviously we’ve (4:22) been heavily involved and I just, I don’t want to get too political, but this committee (4:29) and there’s a, there’s a group of legislators that are completely trying to devalue local (4:38) control and local school boards. (4:41) They want to, there’s a goal amongst them to, and they’ve been pretty vocal on this, (4:46) that they’re trying to govern the 48 school districts and manage them from Cheyenne.

(4:52) And so I just, the people of Star Valley and Cokeville and the people of Wyoming are way (4:57) too smart for, for the games that are being played. (5:01) But I just put a plug in out there, make sure that we’re not being deceived. (5:06) So there’s the Wyoming way and then there’s, there’s certainly the Star Valley and Cokeville (5:13) way.

(5:14) And we want to maintain local control, especially when it comes to our finances and block grant. (5:20) There’s a lot of details. (5:21) I mean, I could spend three days discussing this, but just want people to be awake and (5:27) be paying attention and not be deceived.

(5:30) All right. (5:31) So certainly something to watch for sounds like maybe in the upcoming legislative session, (5:35) right? (5:35) Oh, it’s going to be, yeah, it’s, it’s going to be hot button. (5:39) Yeah.

(5:39) In the legislative session. (5:40) But before we get to the legislative session, it’s obviously public. (5:44) If people are interested, they could reach out and you can go back to the, to the YouTube (5:51) broadcasts of the last meetings, which took place at the same time our accreditation team (5:57) was here.

(5:58) But if you look at the second day of those meetings in the last 18 to 20 minutes or so, (6:04) there was strict marching orders given to the legislative service office. (6:09) And it was pre-scripted before that meeting even started. (6:14) And there was a fake attempt, if you will, to take public comment.

(6:22) But like I say, it was all already pre-scripted and draft legislation was asked to be formed. (6:28) And it will, if that draft legislation actually comes to fruition, it will fundamentally change (6:38) the 48 school districts and how they’re funded and, and local control and the block grant. (6:44) Okay.

(6:45) So more details to come, I guess, as LSO works on that, we’ll see what comes out of it. (6:50) Yes. (6:50) All right.

(6:51) Superintendent Matt Erickson in studio this morning with the weekday wake up. (6:54) Anything else you’d like to mention today, Superintendent? (6:56) Duke, I just, we started off with a happy Thanksgiving to each other and, and we are (7:02) so blessed in this valley and in this state and in this school district. (7:06) And we have wonderful kids and, and staff and parents and, and stakeholders and community (7:13) support and with, we were reminded again yesterday is the kickoff of winter sports, you know, (7:20) basketballs and wrestling and whatnot, and indoor track will be right after Christmas (7:26) break.

(7:27) And there’s just, we’re just so blessed and I’m appreciative to be a small, small part (7:33) of that. (7:33) Superintendent Matt Erickson this morning. (7:35) It is the weekday wake up on the SVI radio network.