WHEATLAND – An award from the U.S. Department of Defense was presented during the “Good Things Happening” portion of Platte County School District No. 1 school board last week.
Tyler Schiele, a volunteer with Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), along with former Wheatland band teacher Evan Bradley – a member of the Wyoming Army National Guard – presented Wheatland High School principal Josh Sandlian with a certificate and pin recognizing his efforts to support Bradley while he was attending Guard training as an employee of the district. Schiele said Sandlian always made sure there was an appropriate substitute for Bradley, which made it possible for him to focus on training and know his students were continuing in the learning process.
The certificate is from the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s ESGR division, recognizing Sandlian as a Patriotic Employer for “Contributing to national security and protecting liberty and freedom by supporting employee participation in America’s national guard and reserve force.”
After the presentation, newly hired district staff were introduced, and each shared a bit of their background, and expressed their excitement to begin the school year in Wheatland schools.

Administrative Report
Superintendent John Weigel updated the board on the Most Cost Effective Remedy (MCER) study being conducted by the State of Wyoming to provide the board two options to choose from to better utilize the asset of the old Jr. High building. The building costs $50,000 in utilities annually, and while it is used for extra-curricular activities and for community partners, is not an active education facility in the district, so in order to be good stewards of tax dollars spent in the district for public education, the board will need to decide what to do with the building. The MCER study will include building inspections by specialists with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Equality’s solid and hazardous waste division - Brownfield and orphan sites remediation program, and a free inspection by specialists in old buildings, Ayres Environmental.
Weigel told the board a decision does not have to be made until the study is complete and the public has a chance to comment, possibly next spring or summer.
Sandlian, who is also curriculum director for the district, said Career and Technical Education (CTE) Demonstration Grant awards of $125,000 and $89,000 were obtained for Wheatland High School.
He explained WHS ag teacher Bill Dalles obtained a $125,000 grant that will be used to replace the welders and shop equipment; and industrial arts teacher Matt Hazen was able to obtain an $85,000 Z-Space grant which Sandlian said can be used alongside the RIDE program to purchase modules to for multiple vocational training opportunities for students, including biology, HVAC, electrician, and mechanics. Sandlian wants to purchase as many modules as possible with the funding. Z-Space is a teaching tool utilizing virtual reality immersive and interactive technology allowing 3D images to be extracted, and layers or components of the image “peeled back” to learn how things work and connect together. The equipment will be set up in the drafting lab of the Industrial Arts building, and modules may be able to be utilized before the end of this semester.

Maintenance Department
A new programable paint robot was the highlight of maintenance director Jim Tolle’s report to the board. He said it takes the robot painter one-and-a-half hours and one employee as opposed to previously taking four employees all day to paint the lines for the football field. The robot will also be used in other areas needing paint throughout the district. Tolle reported the new grass on the field is “super healthy and looks good.” The maintenance team was able to trim up the grass roots along the track to preserve the integrity of the track over time; and though the sprinklers were fixed on the field, the system is nearly 40 years old and parts to fix them are hard to find.
“In the future we may need to replace it…[the sprinkler system] still works, but there are still issues,” Tolle said.
He also highlighted the finishing up of the WHS weight and wellness room, which was completely overhauled this summer with all new HVAC, paint, electrical, and lights. Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) was also upgraded in Libbey and the high school, and a new roof was put on at the middle school – which held up in recent heavy rains. Tolle let the board know the contractors didn’t follow instructions on the precautions needed to protect the sod adjacent to the building, so the contractor was working on fixing the damage of wheel ruts in the sod. Tolle estimated it would be fixed within a couple weeks.
After questions from Trustee Amanda Fox about a welding trailer that was donated to the middle school by Basin Electric, Tolle and Wheatland Middle School principal Robert Daniel explained there are two options still on the table: locate the electricity for the trailer at a location close to classrooms for easy student access, (a cost of approximately $17,000 – 30,000) or place it close to the electricity source for around $5,000 in cost. Tolle said he could set it up at either location, but the decision basically comes down to cost, and what the board would decide to approve.
“It’s more of a cost issue about where we put it. We can still get it up and going, but it does need to be conducive for learning,” Daniel said.
“We need to get information put together and look at it next month,” Board chairman Lu Lay said .
Tolle also said delivery of new playground equipment upgrades planned for Glendo School has been delayed until possibly October, and he is planning on installing it as soon as it arrives. He was also notified the new dust collector for the WHS wood shop is scheduled to arrive next month.

Financial Report
Business manager Jamie Wilson utilized a pie graph to help the board understand where the funding received by the district for the general fund is allocated. Her presentation explained the school receives funds from local, county and state revenue sources. Using numbers from the budget adopted in July for the current fiscal year, 80 percent ($14,330,105) is earmarked for salaries and benefits, seven percent ($1,292,450) is used for building-associated costs, two percent ($300,000) is used for food service transfer, two percent is used for supplies ($292,315), one percent ($159,965) is used for technology equipment, and less than one percent ($48,250) is specifically spent on upkeep for the old Jr. High.

Of the $1,431,536 left over (eight percent of the total budget), the board has eight percent designated as an “other” category which they can choose how it is distributed. Out of this amount, approximately $166,000 is earmarked for travel expenses such as sports, food, and fuel; and $394,000 is spent on special education services alone.
“These funds go quick,” Wilson said.
Wilson added, the district’s monthly expenditures are posted online and updated monthly.
Action by the Board
After comments by Food Service Director Marie Allison, school meal prices were approved for this school year by the board. Allison explained, with the difficulties of the current economy, it is difficult for many parents to make ends meet financially – that is how she interprets the largest unpaid meal balance she has ever seen at the conclusion of last year’s lunch program. To help families as much as possible, and still have a balanced budget, Allison said the cost of meals would remain the same as last year, except for an additional 25 cents for milk and 25 cents for a second entrée.
The board also approved personnel hiring Merlin Hitt as the Wheatland Middle School drama coach, Matt Hazen as Cross-Country assistant coach, Peter Fenster as WHS football assistant coach, MiCayla Shaw and Kayla Buchanan as WHS volleyball assistant, Gavin Knowles as WHS Band Extra Duty, and Madison Sanborn as WMS Intensive SPED Para.
The final readings adopting the policies for the strategic plan placement, staff fringe benefits, a simplification of the expense reimbursement process, and a health and wellness policy were approved. An early literacy service agreement was approved with Susan Bednasek, a special education contract with ACES, a Wyoming High School Activities Association membership contracts for Glendo and Wheatland schools; the staff, coaches/sponsors, and para handbooks (Fox pointed out Glendo School and Peak High School needed handbooks specific to their schools, rather than just focusing on the Wheatland portion of the district. It was agreed to look into modifying the handbook for those schools.) The organizational chart identifying an organized authority structure to manage the district was also approved. Two out-of-district enrollment requests were approved, and a fuel bid opening was authorized.
The PCSD No. 1 school board meets 6 p.m. the third Monday of each month at the district board room in Wheatland.