EVANSTON — The Uinta County School Board meeting on Tuesday, March 12, recognized the Evanston High School swim and dive teams. The boys’ team took second place at the conference swim meet and third in state. Head coach Jim Levine said, “We are really proud of these guys, they are some of the best. You ought to be proud of them.”

Diving coach Teri Wilt commended student-athlete diver Eric Hughes for his state championship. Hughes will go to the national diving competition in Florida in July.

High school wrestling coach Garth Wagstaff and Steve Moore congratulated wrestler Brady Roberts for his state championship victory.

“Brady loves a challenge,” Moore said. “He loves the close matches and always wants to wrestle the toughest kid because he knows that is going to make him better.”

Presenting to the board about the special education department was Director of Special Education Matt Williams.

“We have an amazing crew of people that represent the services and support that we give to students” he said.

He explained that every student on an IEP (Individualized Education Program) should get the support and services needed to thrive in school and that individualized education was a pillar in special education. 

Williams also expressed the necessity of preparing students for after graduation.

“We help students with a transition plan. We start looking ahead at how to get them prepared for college and the world of work,” he said.

Activities Director Bubba O’Neill talked about challenges in hiring coaches and difficulties in budgeting for basic needs associated with sports and other activities — such as hotel rooms, meal costs and equipment. He explained that things such as concussion testing, helmet reconditioning and athletic injury supplies are substantial added costs that have not been budgeted.

Brenden Ellis, teacher for the school’s agricultural program, presented to the board a purchase proposal for a center pivot at the Red Devils Ranch Center. Ellis said he has been in contact with engineers and companies to find ways to improve things at the ranch.

He explained that piping irrigation water to the property would be more efficient with a center pivot. Through a grant he wrote for $110,000, the project would be funded by the Wyoming Department of Education.

Until the center pivot is installed, Ellis said they will still have to flood irrigate which is not as efficient. The kit for the pivot will be paid for through the grant, and Ellis asked the board for permission to make the purchase.

Ellis said he hopes that through the process of installing an irrigation system, students will not only gain an educational experience but a love for agriculture as well. The system would use less water and be pressurized by an inline pump.

Other discussion items included national event competition funding. Currently there are three levels of competition that qualify for funding. The third level requires participants to meet a qualification and only those individuals meeting that standard and participating at the national event will receive the funding at 25% of approved expenses.

During public comments, Evanston resident David Welling spoke on behalf of the BOOST Program offered at Uinta BOCES No. 1. Welling said the BOOST kids are his noble cause and appealed to the board that they be invited to school dances.

“Every time a dance comes up, they are turned down because they are classified as a dropout,” he said.

Welling said his students are not dropouts because they are in school. He asked the board to look at their policy and quit calling BOOST students dropouts.

“They have dropped in,” he said.

He asked the board to change the hardline policy that does not allow BOOST students into school dances. The BOOST program assists students to obtain their high school equivalency or GED as well as offer preparation and remediation for math, reading and writing skills.

After a short break, the board reconvened and approved the purchase of a center pivot for the Red Devil Ranch.