Albany County School District to Reopen One Student School

On November 18, 2025 the Albany County School District said it would reopen Cozy Hollow School, an isolated site about 60 miles north of Laramie, to provide on site kindergarten next fall for a single enrolled child. A modular classroom is already at the property, though it has sat unused for roughly a decade. District officials framed the decision as a legal and practical response to travel conditions that can make transporting a student to other buildings impracticable under Wyoming law.

The district previously experimented with live streamed instruction for students living in isolated locations, but officials found that this approach did not work well, particularly for very young children who need in person interaction and hands on support. With another isolated student in the district next school year, officials estimated the combined cost to educate the two students would be about $150,000. This reopening will mark the second one student school in the Albany County School District.

For Albany County residents the decision raises questions about resource allocation, rural service equity, and safety. Operating a building for a single student is expensive on a per pupil basis, but officials said the cost reflects staffing, transportation when conditions allow, maintenance of the modular classroom, and compliance with legal requirements to provide accessible schooling. Residents in remote parts of the county who face seasonal road closures will see the move as recognition that standard consolidation of services does not always meet the needs of scattered rural populations.

Public health and community wellbeing are part of the calculus. When roads become impassable during winter storms it is not only education access that suffers, it is emergency response, family medical travel, and social isolation for children and families. Providing a local classroom seeks to reduce those risks by keeping young children safe and connected to consistent school routines, which can support developmental and mental health needs that are harder to meet through remote methods.

The decision also underscores broader policy issues facing rural districts across Wyoming, including how state law and funding formulas shape local choices, and how districts balance fiscal pressures with obligations to ensure equitable access to education. Albany County will face ongoing operational challenges as it staffs the tiny school and coordinates services across large distances.

The district plans to have the Cozy Hollow site ready for the coming school year, and officials will begin preparations for on site kindergarten operations. As the community watches implementation, the backdrop of winter weather and rural infrastructure will remain central to how well the plan meets both safety and educational goals.