Central Wyoming College outlines campus expansion, staffing ask and funding pressures

Central Wyoming College (CWC) representatives told the town council and county commissioners April 28 that a new campus building set to open in summer 2026 requires expanded institutional capacity and staffing, and asked for continued local funding support.

"Now is the time," CWC President Brad Tindall said, describing partnerships with local organizations and employers to build career and technical education and workforce training. He cited national rankings for some CWC programs and emphasized the college’s role as a partner for local workforce development.

CWC said the campus building will be complete in 2026 and that the college seeks funds to hire staff, scale program offerings and support students. Administrators said state funding mechanisms have become more challenging: they cited a reduction in state support tied to recent property‑tax changes and broader shifts in higher‑education funding that cut roughly $850,000 from their budget across state actions referenced during the meeting.

Officials clarified an existing local contribution: CWC receives a historical annual allocation from Teton County and the town, which college leaders hope will remain at recent levels. Questions from commissioners focused on the college’s personnel cost requests, a one‑time cost‑of‑living adjustment proposal and the implications of accepting a lower local amount. President Tindall acknowledged that staffing is the primary constraint to scaling programming and that failure to secure the full proposed amount would slow program rollout rather than close the campus.

Ending: Commissioners and councilors thanked CWC for the presentation and agreed to follow up; college leaders said they will continue working with county and town partners to refine budgets and staffing plans.