Homeschool benefits and savings in Laramie and Albany County
The City of Laramie takes 50% off Laramie Recreation Center memberships and select youth recreation programs for households under its income limits, so a $240 youth annual membership costs $120. The city decides on household size and income alone and asks for no school records, so a homeschool family applies the same way as any other family.
Who qualifies
Income under the city limit
Your adjusted gross income, from line 11 of your tax return, must be at or below the limit for your family size: $43,280 for two people, $54,640 for three, $66,000 for four, and $77,360 for five. The limits are 200% of the 2026 federal poverty levels.
Shows one proof of income
Send last year's tax return showing how many people live in your household, or proof of current enrollment or eligibility in WIC (the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children), SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), Albany Community Health Clinic, or Laramie Downtown Clinic programs.
Has a parks and recreation account
The city reviews documents uploaded to your online account at parksandrec.cityoflaramie.org, or ones you bring when you register.
What the reduction saves
Laramie Recreation Center's posted membership rates, cut in half under the needs-based income reduction.
- Youth annual (ages 3-17), regularly $240
- $120
- Youth monthly, regularly $24
- $12
- Parent Plus annual (1 adult, 1 child), regularly $540
- $270
- Household annual (2 adults, 2 children), regularly $750
- $375
- Each added member under 18, regularly $75 a year
- $37.50
The city says only "select youth recreation programs" are reduced and does not list them, so ask the billing office which of your child's classes or camps qualify before you register.
How to get the reduction
- Before you apply
Check the income chart
Compare line 11 of last year's tax return with the limit for your family size on the fee reductions page.
- Before or at registration
Upload your proof
Log in at parksandrec.cityoflaramie.org and add your tax return or program proof under "Update, Documents."
- After review
Watch for an email
The city emails you once it has reviewed your documents, and the 50% reduction is then applied automatically to your future registrations.
- When you sign up
Buy the membership or program
Register online, at the Recreation Center front desk, or by emailing the Membership Application to parksandrecinfo@cityoflaramie.org.
What it includes
Included
- Laramie Recreation Center memberships
- Select youth recreation programs
Not included
- A second discount stacked on top
- Youth programs outside the select list
The Recreation Center offers three reductions (disability, employer wellness, and needs-based income), and you choose the one that saves your family the most.
Good to know
Homeschooled children qualify
The reduction depends only on your household's size and income, and the proof the city asks for is a tax return or program enrollment, not a school document.
Who to contact about the fee reduction
The parks and recreation billing office answers questions about the income guidelines and the documents you upload.
parksandrecbilling@cityoflaramie.org 307-721-5284 Fee reductions page
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Wyoming
To withdraw a child under 18, a parent, guardian, or other responsible person must meet in person with a school counselor or administrator and give written consent. This does not apply if the district was already told the child will enroll in another district, a private school, or a home-based program. Since July 1, 2025, families no longer submit curriculum to the district.
Wyoming sets these rules:
- Subjects: Provide a sequentially progressive curriculum in reading, writing, mathematics, civics, history, literature, and science.
- Testing: Wyoming does not require a statewide standardized test for homeschoolers.
- Records: No routine state portfolio filing is required; keep the withdrawal record and evidence of subject coverage.
- Teachers: No state homeschool-parent credential is required.
Wyoming also has an education savings account that home-educated students can use.
- The Wyoming Education Savings Account pays $7,000 a year to residents ages 4 through grade 12 who are not enrolled in public school. The 2026-27 cycle is closed, and students must cover the core subjects and take an assessment.
Read the Wyoming homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Wyoming
Questions parents ask
- We get SNAP benefits. Do we still need a tax return for the Laramie fee reduction?
- No. Proof of current enrollment or eligibility in WIC, SNAP, Albany Community Health Clinic, or Laramie Downtown Clinic programs is accepted on its own.
- Which income number does the city use?
- It uses the adjusted gross income on line 11 of your federal tax return and compares it with the gross annual income limit for your family size.
- Can we combine this with another discount?
- No. The city asks you to pick whichever of its three reductions works best for you, and it says the employer wellness discount is not meant to be combined with other discounts.
- How long does approval last?
- The city gives no end date. Once approved, the discount applies to future registrations, so ask the billing office when it needs a new tax return from you.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
Camps and local activities give your child new interests to explore. Their discoveries can shape the examples and questions they study at home.
$149/month per child after the trial.
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