School makes the cut as Legislature's budget session concludesPowell will see more school construction in the near future after the Wyoming Legislature authorized funding for construction of two new facilities.A new Westside Elementary facility was included in the state's biennial budget in a late compromise as the Legislature concluded its budget session last week, joining an addition to Powell Middle School.

The new budget provides $11,411,355 for construction of the new Westside facility and $3,848,281 for construction addition at Powell Middle School that will include a lunchroom and kitchen.

According to Rep. Dave Bonner, R-Powell, Westside was the last school included in the appropriation. It was one of four schools that were “on the bubble” as the Legislature dealt with reduced state revenues. The state's School Facilities Commission (SFC) had requested funding for the four facilities, but they had been removed from the appropriations bill by legislative committees.

An amendment to put the four schools back on the list for funding was sponsored in the House of Representatives last week by several representatives, including Bonner. That amendment was passed in the House, but the schools were not included in the Senate version.

In conference committee, the two houses reached a compromise to fund two of the schools based on the SFC's priorities. Westside was second on the priority list, ahead of facilities in Rock Springs and Gillette, and was included in the funding.

Bonner said a factor in Westside's inclusion was that Park County School District No. 1 has nearly completed planning for the facility, and is “ready to go.”

Park County District No. 1 Superintendent of Schools Kevin Mitchell said recently that plans for Westside are 95 percent complete and the project could be ready for bid within weeks.

The appropriation for the new Westside represents an 8.5 percent cut from the original request by the School Facilities Commission because construction costs have declined in Wyoming during the current recession.

The reduced construction costs have also resulted in money coming back to the state from previously authorized construction. The School Facilities Commission, for example, based on past estimates, had provided approximately $1 million for demolition of the old Powell High School gym. Recently the school district accepted a bid of just over $400,000 for the project.

Bonner said that, should the Westside project require more money, the belief is that money coming back from projects such as the gym will be available.

In the end, Bonner said, the decision to authorize the appropriation for Westside and a school facility in Sheridan, was the belief that building it now would be cheaper than building it in the future.