SPET at work: CWC Jackson campus on schedule for 2026 school year

JACKSON, Wyo. — The structural framework for the new Central Wyoming College (CWC) Jackson campus is up, and executive staff went on a hard-hat tour with donors on Saturday evening.

The 20,300-square-foot building comes in at $23 million, which is an all-inclusive cost that encompasses purchasing and prepping the land; building the structure; and buying furniture, fixtures and equipment, according to executive members of CWC.

The single-level campus — slated to open for classes in fall of 2026 — will include an administrative wing; a culinary wing; a computer lab; four classrooms that open out to a central courtyard; study rooms; a student social area; and multiple labs and simulation rooms for science, health and nursing classes. The small study rooms will also be available for the community to use, said CWC Foundation Executive Director Beth Monteiro, suggesting the spaces can be used by people seeking privacy for telemedicine appointments.

Teton County has twice voted in favor of allocating money to the community college through SPET ballot initiatives. As previously reported by Buckrail, CWC received $3.82 million in 2017 to purchase a 2-acre parcel on West High School Road and to begin design and engineering plans. Then in 2022, the county voted to send $10 million to be used for construction of the campus. Other funding has come from the state and federal level, as well as private donations.

“We’re incredibly thankful to the people of Teton County because twice they voted for SPET for us,” Monteiro told Buckrail. “That commitment was critical for us to be able, at the state level, to show Teton County’s commitment, then for the state to do their allocation of funding.”

Monteiro noted that CWC is still doing fundraising, mostly for the high-end classroom and lab equipment. Costs of those items are the most likely to change over time, leaving the school to make up for any possible inflation.

CWC President Brad Tyndall has held his current position since 2016, and has worked for community colleges for over 25 years. He described the positive aspects of the job and seeing the difference it can make in people’s lives.

“We’re really establishing higher education for an important population of people that needs it,” he told Buckrail. “We really do believe this stuff, and it’s really rewarding. We transform lives and strengthen communities. We live that; it’s our whole mission. You cry and get teary eyed when somebody who’s had a really hard life crosses the stage and gets a job.”

Access to higher education is a real barrier, Monteiro said. According to a 2023 study on “Geography of Opportunity” by The Institute for College Access & Success, 69% of students attend college within 50 miles of their permanent home address.

“So what we have is a problem in America of education deserts, and it’s really a problem in rural America,” Monteiro said. “This is actually a true access issue for people who can’t pick up and move to Laramie or even to Rexburg. … This gives them an opportunity to access something that’s going to improve their lives, improve their family lives, improve the community. We’ve got all the ROI [return on investment] data on what higher ed does.”

Tyndall acknowledges that CWC is not an Ivy League school, but he sees the value in being the “people’s school” and offering education to everyone, including those who might not otherwise have the opportunity.

“We just serve humanity and all its flavors.”