EVANSTON — Members of Evanston High School cheer team and the Classics dance team filled the room at the Uinta County School District No. 1 board meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 13. Principal Merle Lester introduced the two coaches of the cheer team, Sydney Weber and Holly Blair, who then asked the members of the cheer team to come forward and line up in front of the board members.

“We are so proud of this team. Eight are brand-new cheer members, and it was so exciting to see them take the championship their first year,” Weber said. “They really put their hearts and passion into performing and we hope they can do it again next year.”

Blair thanked the board and administration for their support and also thanked the community.

The girls received a round of applause and congratulations from the school board and audience.

“The Classics dance coach, Candace Spivey, has a sick child and may not be able to make it,” Lester told the board. “I attended the state meet, and it was probably the most fun meet I’ve ever attended. During one of the dance routines, the audience went completely silent and a woman next to me said, ‘Wow, that was a winner.’ And yes, it was — the Classics were awesome and are the state champions.”

Lester then asked the two team leaders, Allie Sanchez and Sally Davis, to say a few words. They both thanked the board and said how proud they were of all of their team members.

The Classics dance team stood up in front of the school board to a round of applause and congratulations.

“Now comes the worst part — you have to stay for the rest of the meeting,” board chair David Peterson said with a laugh. The coaches laughed, too, but said they all had to leave to go to practice. 

Following the girls’ exit, the two main items of business for the evening were budget reports from the transportation and food service departments. 

Travis Fackrell, transportation director, gave a detailed report. For the school year so far, as of Jan. 31, the number of students utilizing the buses is fairly steady from last year with an average of 1264 students daily; a total of 215,000 route miles each year, an average of 88 miles per student. They have also traveled 136,907 miles for activities and trips.

“The lift project at the bus barn was started in September and it was finished by the end of January,” Fackrell said. “They are fantastic, work well and are certified. Thank you.” 

Fackrell outlined the professional training that new bus drivers receive, including driving on slick winter roads, medical emergency and CPR training, defensive driving and an update on laws and procedures, which is all required by the Wyoming Pupil Transportation Association (WPTA). He said the mechanics at the bus barn have to go through the same training.

“We have 45 staff members and 54 routes, both a.m. and p.m.,” Fackrell said. “We average 1262-mile hours daily. The drivers start at 5:30 a.m. and end usually at 5:30 p.m. The average age of the buses is 28 years, and we have 34 buses with four wheelchair buses. We need to replace one of the wheelchair buses as it is aged out.”

The transportation department has regular health department drills and evacuation drills at all the schools and works closely with law enforcement. Fackrell said he keeps morale up by holding team potluck dinners, driving in parades and encouraging staff to be involved in the community.

Fackrell’s request for the transportation department is for two new buses and some staff vehicles, which are aged out as well. Fackrell said they would also like to acquire new routing software equipment that provides a parent app, which would give them access to students’ parents in case of an emergency.

They have also been looking at radios in the buses that would allow drivers to communicate across the state as cell phones often don’t have a signal when they are traveling across the state.

UCSD No. 1 Food Service Director Sheila Stewart then gave her budget report. She said costs are up about 6% this year due to different factors. Horizon High School makes up 80% of the rise in costs due to more students being eligible for reduced and free lunches. According to state requirements, any student receiving Medicaid automatically qualifies for free or reduced lunches.

Stewart said that, in the 2022-23 school year, there were 13.9% eligible students, and this school year it is up to 24.68% eligible for free or reduced lunches.

“We are excited about some new additions to food service,” Stewart said. “We have added fresh fruit and vegetables, and our goal is to cook more from-scratch meals. We have a full bakery at EHS, and we will start using it.”

Stewart said they are now offering “grab and go” items for students. They include wrapped sandwiches and packaged salads for those who don’t wish to have the complete meal. They also tried out chicken and waffles and she said the students loved it.

“We are also working with the FFA chapter at EHS to use the beef they raise,” Stewart said. “We are expanding the salad bar and offering local produce and meats.”

During public comments, Amber Taylor with the Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) provided information on her free services for high school seniors. She helps students fill out the FASFA applications, can provide fee waivers for college applications and ACT testing, along with travel reimbursement.

“No computer can take my job,” Taylor said. “I am passionate about what I can do to help students. I provide a personal touch. I have helped over 1,000 students fill out FASFA and I follow up with them over the years. My grant covers four counties — Uinta, Lincoln, Sweetwater and Carbon.”

Taylor said she can help students go to any college or trade school anywhere and she can help adults as well as seniors in high school. Her grant is targeted for low-income and first-generation college students, but she will help anyone who needs it, she said.

Board member Brian Woodward said he was concerned that members of the board didn’t know about this service until now. He said they need to utilize the service for students and get Taylor into the schools.

Superintendent Ryan Thomas suggested she follow up with principal Lester to set a time when she can work with the schools.

The last main speaker was Brad Francis, principal at Uinta Meadows Elementary, who asked the board to approve the trip for eighth-graders to attend Teton Science School for five days, May 20-24.

“The cost for the school has risen from about $500 to $738 per student, but we have scholarships available for those students who can’t afford it. It requires school board approval as the students will be staying overnight,” Francis said. “This is a great opportunity for the kids, and we don’t want to lose the experience for them of learning science outdoors with expert teachers.”

Francis explained they had seven chaperones signed up — three males and four females. He said the boys and girls are in separate locked cabins that require key cards. The entire event is focused on learning and all eighth-graders are eligible to attend.

The trip was approved by the majority of the board, with Peterson and trustee David Bennett voting no. They both expressed their concerns regarding young students going on overnight trips.