Wyoming School Enrollment Down

GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming public schools reported losing more than 1,000 students between October 2015 and the start of fall 2016 classes.

Almost half of those students who left school were from Campbell County.

Twenty of Wyoming's 48 school districts reported they lost students over the past year, with some of that loss blamed on an economic downturn in the energy extraction industries. The loss of 1,020 students ends a 10-year cycle of growth for Wyoming public schools overall since 2006.

The decrease in students reflects a decrease in population as layoffs and job cuts across Wyoming have increased as the oil, gas and coal industry declines.