GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming is set to gain an eighth community college district after Campbell County voters decided to spin off their own district.
Of the 5,886 who voted on the issue Tuesday, 4,161 supported creating a new district and 1,725 voted against it, the Gillette News Record reported.
Voters also elected seven trustees for the new Gillette Community College District. County officials certified the results Thursday.
Gillette College is in the Northern Wyoming Community College District along with Sheridan College in Sheridan.
Discontent in Gillette over the two-college district came to a head when district trustees voted in 2020 to cut sports programs at both colleges to save money amid dwindling state funding.
“I moved into this town in 1983 and this was an issue then,” said state Sen. Jeff Wasserburger, a Republican from Gillette. “We’ve never been able to pass a Gillette independent college. So after 40 years, it’s really neat to see us have our own representation, our own board.”
The special election had about 30% voter turnout.
