A report on the Wyoming Department of Education’s special monitoring session of a Rock Springs school district's special education program is expected sometime within the next two months, according to a statement from Wyoming Department of Education’s Chief of Staff Dicky Shanor.
The Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) concluded its weeklong special monitoring session of Sweetwater County School District No. 1’s special education program on Feb. 27. The unusual monitoring session comes after parental complaints of staffing and supervision of special education children, as well as concerns over the school system’s responsiveness and transparency.
Shanor declined to provide specific takeaways or findings from the visit, saying the written report would be available within 60 days. But he said, “Our monitoring team encountered a caring and concerned group of teachers, parents, and staff during the visit.”
He added that the written report will offer an opportunity for “improvement in the provision of special education services and everyone involved hopes to see it used in that manner.”
School District Superintendent Joseph Libby told Cowboy State Daily in an email that the district’s staff and faculty were professional and cooperative throughout the monitoring process. However, he criticized multiple aspects of the process, citing “operational challenges due to repeated, unilateral schedule changes made by WDE monitors without notice to the district.”
Background
The WDE announced it would initiate a special monitoring session of the school district’s special education program after parents complained of a teacher’s nude photo accidentally being shown on a projector in a special education class. The special monitoring also followed a January decision by the WDE, which determined that the school district had committed multiple special‑education violations tied to student privacy and parental rights.
In a statement, the WDE cited “recent findings of noncompliance identified through official state complaints, as well as concerns raised by parents, staff, and public reports” as the reason for the special monitoring.
Separately, the school district has been wrestling with complaints about subpar transparency and staff vacancies.
Libby defended the district’s operations and integrity, telling Cowboy State Daily that one of the referenced complaints resulted in findings with which the district disagrees. He said the district has formally requested that the WDE reconsider its determination on that issue and that the matter is pending.
The Process
Over five days, WDE’s special monitoring examined five critical components of the school district’s special education system: parental participation, individualized education plan implementation, maintaining the least restrictive environment, staff credentials and student privacy.
WDE is required by federal regulations and state rules to investigate alleged violations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) within the state.
Shanor said in his statement that the monitoring team interviewed school district staff and parents and met with district leadership.
Libby said WDE did not request interviews or specific participation from either the Superintendent or School Board Chair Cole Wright during the visit. But, he said, that is not unusual.
“Special education monitoring typically focuses on student records, classroom implementation, IEP processes and service delivery by teachers and specialists rather than governance functions,” he said.
Shanor said the monitoring team also hosted public meetings as part of its special monitoring, “to gain additional feedback due to the volume of requests for such a forum.”
WDE spokeswoman Linda Finnerty told Cowboy State Daily about 50 to 60 people participated in the forums. She said WDE has submitted a request to the district for additional documents and information as a result of the public forums.
Finnerty said in recent years the WDE has conducted one or two special monitoring visits per year.
The last WDE special monitoring session occurred in March 2025 at Campbell County School District No. 1 in Gillette.
Superintendent And School Board Chair React
Libby said in a Feb. 16 statement that complaints related to special education services are increasingly common nationwide.
While Libby said he and district staff cooperated with the special monitoring, he criticized multiple aspects of the process, telling Cowboy State Daily in an email that multiple things about WDE’s visit surprised him.
“We were concerned to learn that WDE monitors acknowledged they had not reviewed the documentation uploaded approximately three weeks earlier, including IEP meeting minutes, evaluations, and other documentation,” he said.
He added that the district was surprised that WDE monitors did not formally interview any of the building principals.
“This is concerning,” he said, “as this perspective is central to understanding how special education services are coordinated and monitored at the school level.”
Libby also took issue with the way the WDE conducted public forums.
“We were also concerned about inconsistencies in the application of public comment parameters during parent meetings, as well as instances in which interviews were initiated without notice after District representatives had indicated they were available to participate,” he said. “Fundamental fairness requires transparency and an opportunity for response if new allegations arise.”
Libby said the district has formally communicated its concerns to state officials “to ensure the monitoring process adheres to basic standards of consistency, communication, and fairness.”
Mixed Stats
At the Feb. 9 Sweetwater County School District No. 1 School Board meeting, Assistant Superintendent Nicole Bolton reported that out of approximately 40 complaints currently under review by the state, two involve Sweetwater County.
Cowboy State Daily previously reported that Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder said on the Cowboy State Daily Show with Jake Nichols earlier this year that, “We’ve had news and findings in the world of special education, as well as just stacks and stacks of reports and complaints from parents.”
Libby suggested that the “stacks of complaints” Degenfelder referred to were unsubstantiated, telling Cowboy State Daily that such claims “are not supported by publicly available information or by any information available to district staff.”
In response, he said, the district submitted a formal public records request seeking any additional complaints, reports or findings that reference or involve Sweetwater County School District No. 1. WDE acknowledged receipt of that request and indicated it would respond within 30 days,” Libby said.
Finnerty told Cowboy State Daily she shared those records with the school district this week.
According to the WDE statement, there is a difference between official special ed complaints and other complaints.
Kari Cochran, a parent in the Sweetwater County School District No. 1, said the data the district presents does not represent the facts.
“They’re mixing,” she said. “They’re not giving accurate information. They’re trying to spin things in the direction they want to present.”
Official Report to Come
Special monitoring follows documented findings by the WDE. The final written report, which will be completed within 60 days, will be a public document.
Shanor said the monitoring team is committed to keeping special education students at the center of the process and are committed to a fair and unbiased compliance review.
Libby said the district awaits any formal findings.
“If recommendations or corrective actions are identified, we will review them carefully and respond in a thoughtful and timely manner,” he said.
Kate Meadows can be reached at kate@cowboystatedaily.com.
