Campbell County voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved the creation of a new community college within the county’s borders.
According to unofficial results from Tuesday’s special election, 4,160 people voted for the creation of a new Gillette Community College District and tax levy to support it, while 1,724 voted against it.
For 51 years, a satellite campus of Sheridan College has operated in Gillette. Last year, supporters of the idea to create an independent college in Gillette won approval to pursue the idea in the Legislature, which passed legislation during its general session earlier this year allowing the creation of the district.
The new district’s creation was opposed by officials from the Northern Wyoming Community College District, which controls both the Sheridan and Gillette colleges, who said it would reduce the amount of money available for Sheridan College.
Officials have said it could be several years before the Gillette College can be completely independent of the Sheridan College.
