Margaret Crespo Resigns as LCSD1 Superintendent

Dr. Margaret Crespo has submitted her letter of resignation to the LCSD1 Board of Trustees, which was submitted on Friday. The board has approved Dr. Stephen Newton as acting Superintendent. Below are statements from Board Chair Timothy Bolin and from Dr. Crespo.

Dear Laramie County School District 1 staff and community,

During a special meeting today, the LCSD1 Board of Trustees accepted a resignation letter from Superintendent Dr. Margaret Crespo who has served the district since 2021.

The Board thanks Superintendent Crespo for her dedicated work over the past two years. We appreciate everything she has done to implement the district’s strategic plan along with her commitment to our students and staff and wish her well as she begins a new chapter in her career. Dr. Crespo has provided the attached letter to share with staff and the community.

Moving forward, we have appointed Dr. Stephen Newton as acting superintendent. He will serve in this role until the Trustees appoint an interim superintendent. Dr. Newton has been in education for nearly 30 years and serves as LCSD1’s Director of Instruction.

The Board and district will continue to work on educational strategies for the benefit of our students and their future. More information, including a hiring timeline, will be released soon, as we will be working diligently to select a new superintendent to lead our efforts.

Sincerely,

Timothy Bolin
Chairman
Laramie County School District 1 Board of Trustees

This is what Dr. Crespo wrote in her resignation letter:

As you all know, the beginning of the school year is my favorite time of year. Not only is it the opening of
one small chapter of a long journey, but it is a time for new beginnings and new opportunities. As I
reflect on my time here in LCSD1, I continue to be humbled by the amazing principals, staff, teachers,
and parents that I have the privilege of working alongside. Our work has brought a strategic plan,
student readiness, healthy environments, and community partnerships. Together, in just a few short
years, we have built a strong community, enhanced our Parent Advisory Council engagement, and launched amazing programs; the dual language programs, Leader in Me, STEM, and JROTC at South High School. We have increased college-level classes, Career and Tech Ed including, updates to our AG farm. There have been many other wonderful and important opportunities for our students that have come to life through our Elevate LCSD1 strategic plan.

Our focus on SEL through Sources of Strength has helped hundreds of community members, staff, and
students find their voice and bring a common focus to our wellness and health. The partnership with
HealthWorks has brought needed medical support to our families through a mobile van program that
visits our schools. Not to mention, our focus on equity and diversity has shown increases in the data.
Students, like me, who learned English as a second language and our students who struggle with secure
housing are exhibiting growth on our state assessments. Our partnership with LCCC will provide housing opportunities for our housing-insecure students and they too will have success. The students of Arp Elementary, no longer have to go to school in a building that is inadequate. Together, we have made a difference. Please check out our most recent video update regarding our strategic plan.

I find myself reflecting over this time because although being the superintendent of LCSD1, has been a wonderful opportunity, I have determined it is time for me to begin a new chapter. I wish I could personally, thank each of you. As you launch into the new year, please remember to focus on joy, choose kindness, value each other, and remember, to walk like a penguin when it is icy.

LCSD1, our students their future!

With Gratitude,

Margaret Crespo