JANUARY 24, 2025|
Photo – Antelope Creek School in Garrett, WY – by Matt Copeland Bigfoot99
State lawmakers showed their support this week for rural schools with a house joint resolution. On Wednesday, the Wyoming House Education Committee met to discuss House Joint Resolution Three, titled Support for Rural Schools. Committee Vice Chairwoman Martha Lawley began by reading the bill.
J.R. 3 came about after the Board of Carbon County Commissioners provided an unused building in Medicine Bow to the Albany County School District to use as a rural school. The structure was moved from Medicine Bow to Garrett, located about an hour north of Rock River.
The Andersons, a fifth-generation ranching family live in Garrett. In 2022, Anne Anderson and her husband, Carson, began a legal battle with Albany County School District Number One to have a school built in the small community. The Andersons were told that the low population of Garrett did not warrant its own schoolhouse and that they would have to send their two young children to the Rock River School, located over 40 miles away.
After being denied by the Albany County school district, the Andersons took their case to the Wyoming Supreme Court. Their lawsuit was dismissed due to a lack of jurisdiction, but the case got the attention of the Wyoming state legislature, who set aside $300,000 towards the construction of a new schoolhouse in Garrett.
After hearing about the Anderson’s battle, Carbon County Commissioner Sue Jones, who was the board chair at the time, offered to sell an unneeded county-owned building in Medicine Bow to the Albany Schol District for roughly $80,000.
The building was purchased using impact assistance money years ago to house a sheriff’s deputy and a county road and bridge employee. However, the structure ended up not being needed and sat vacant until it was sold to Albany County in August of last year.
The building was moved from Medicine Bow in September, traveling two days along narrow dirt roads until it arrived in Garrett, becoming the Antelope Creek School.
Once at its new location, the building was renovated. One half is used as a schoolhouse. The remainder, is the home of the new teacher, Lexi Horblait.
Anna Anderson spoke in support of Joint Resolution Three during the January 22nd House Education Committee meeting. Anderson said rural schools allow small communities to stay together.
Anderson said that the state legislature should not discount the effectiveness of a rural education. The rancher said all Wyoming students should have access to the same level of education, even those living in remote communities like Garrett.
House District 21 Representative McKay Erickson said he supports rural education but asked Anderson why she chose not to educate her two children online. While online schooling may work for some students, Anderson said children greatly benefit from face-to-face instruction.
After hearing more public support for the bill, the House Education Committee unanimously voted to approve Joint Resolution Three. The measure will be voted on by the full Wyoming State Legislature at a later date.
