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LARAMIE鈥擳he Lab School is a family affair for Corelle Lotzer. 

Not only did Lotzer enroll her daughter and son in the school, but she taught math here for over a decade. Her daughter, who thrived years ago as a student in the K-8 atmosphere, returned as an adult to work as a paraprofessional 鈥� just down the hall from her mom.

Because Lotzer took a year off to take care of an aging aunt, she lost tenure. So when the closure of the 138-year-old school became official this winter, she did not receive a contract with the district to continue working at one of its other schools. 

Lotzer, who was raised in Laramie, instead accepted a position at Cheyenne East High School. In early May, she was still trying to figure out the logistics involved with working in Cheyenne while her other, younger kids continue their education in Laramie. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 been tough,鈥� Lotzer said in a second-story room in the Lab School. The shrieks and laughter of children at recess drifted in from an open window. 鈥淚 would have rather stayed in Albany County.鈥�

Lotzer is one of 11 Lab School teachers without tenure, Principal Brooke Fergon said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 probably been the most difficult challenge, that our tenured teachers have been placed in other schools throughout the district, and our teachers who do not have tenure 鈥� were not initially placed in positions.鈥�

It鈥檚 not the only pain point involved in closing a school that predates the state of Wyoming itself. Many people fought to keep the Lab School open, and the past year has been a rollercoaster of emotions for school staff, students and their families as hopes have been raised and dashed, Fergon said. The school, which sits on the University of Wyoming campus, started as an educational learning site for college students studying to be teachers. It鈥檚 beloved for its experiential and outdoor-based approach to learning and emphasis on inclusivity. 

But  last summer as the university and Albany County School District 1 hit a stalemate over a lease agreement. School advocates pleaded to keep it open by some means and floated ideas that didn鈥檛 stick. The Lab School no longer served its former functions, university and district officials said, and issues from maintenance costs for the 75-year-old building to district-wide enrollment trends factored into closure talks. 

The final Hail Mary came during the Wyoming Legislature. A bipartisan bill sponsored by Laramie Democrat Chris Rothfuss would have . The bill passed out of the Senate, but House lawmakers killed it in February, and that was pretty much that for the Lab School. 

In the last year, Fergon said, 鈥淚 think we鈥檝e really been sitting in a place of uncertainty, just with all of the different avenues that could have kept the school going, and so that did feel kind of like a final door closing.鈥�

And for her staff, she said, 鈥渆ven though we鈥檙e not happy to say goodbye to the school, and we didn鈥檛 want to see the school close, I think that having some certainty and a path forward 鈥� feels better than just sitting in limbo.鈥�

With the school year ending Thursday, Lab School students will be saying goodbye to their classrooms and dispersing to other schools in the district. Some teachers will too, but others are starting new jobs or moving out of Laramie entirely. The school community spent the last couple of months bidding farewell, some with regret about how it ended. 

鈥淲e love the school,鈥� said Lindsey Rettler, a parent with two elementary students in Lab. Rettler was experiencing a mixture of emotions, she said in May. 鈥淪urprise, a little bit of shock, really, really sad, super disappointed and honestly, quite betrayed by those who are supposed to be leading people based on what鈥檚 best for the people.鈥�

End of an era 

The school was established in 1887 as the Preparatory School to serve secondary education students from counties without access to high school. In 1913, it transitioned to the Training Preparatory School, used as a learning laboratory by UW鈥檚 College of Education. 

In 1999, the private school partnered with the Albany County School District to become a district public school. The Lab School then operated as a 鈥渟chool of choice,鈥� meaning any district family could enter a lottery to enroll their kids.

College of Education students continued to train in its classrooms, but they also did so in classrooms across the district, state and beyond.

Historically, UW and the school district operated with a memorandum of understanding laying out terms of tenancy. Efforts to renew that MOU, however, failed to produce an updated agreement. Instead, the university announced last summer it was pursuing an extension only for the 2024-鈥�25 school year, meaning the school would have to find a new home if it was to continue beyond that.

Among the major sticking points: whether the district or UW should pay for things like major maintenance in the aging building. UW also cited the fact that the school 鈥渘o longer serves a significant role for teacher training in UW鈥檚 College of Education,鈥� along with security challenges regarding having a school-district-operated facility located on university grounds; the Lab School鈥檚 incongruence with the state鈥檚 public funding model and the fact that the school district 鈥渉as excess capacity in its existing facilities to accommodate current Lab School students.鈥�

The Albany County School District Board of Trustees voted in December to close the Lab School after considering options to move it into another district building. Trustees . 

Concerned residents bemoaned the decision, and Albany County state lawmakers took notice. Sen. Rothfuss鈥� bill was the product of that concern. The bill brought together strange bedfellows, with co-sponsors ranging from Freedom Caucus-aligned lawmakers like Ocean Andrew to Laramie Democrat Karlee Provenza. Both serve in the Wyoming House of Representatives.

The issue raised questions about the state鈥檚 role in local education and what constitutes a situation so exceptional that lawmakers should meddle. Lab School supporters argued its unique role as a teaching laboratory and its century-plus of education history made it a place worth saving. 

鈥淭his legislation is not about saving a school,鈥� Rep. Andrew, R-Laramie, said on the House floor on Feb. 28. 鈥淚t is about protecting a legacy and educating future generations of Wyoming teachers.鈥�

True local control reflects the wishes of the people in the community, he continued, 鈥渁nd in this case, the overwhelming support for keeping the Lab School open has been ignored. The people of Wyoming, the parents and the students have spoken, and they have been met with indifference by those in power.鈥�

But others said the state should not interfere in a matter of local concern.

鈥淭his really feels like we鈥檙e being asked to micromanage a local school,鈥� said Rep. Art Washut, R-Casper. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think this is the proper role of the state legislature.鈥�

The body ultimately killed the measure on a 24-32 vote. 

Moving on 

With that, school staff began the work of transition, making plans with its 145 students to help them figure out transfer schools and options, Fergon said.. The school counselor even brought in a 鈥渢ransition curriculum鈥� to help students navigate and cope with the stress of such significant change.

There was also a staff of roughly 20 teachers along with employees like janitors and paraprofessionals. Many say they are sad to leave a school community that felt like family. 

Some, like Fergon, are continuing to work in the district. She will be an assistant principal at another high school.

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