While this session has seen a substantial number of bills that target and negatively impact public education, we need to celebrate when we have successes – and we definitely have those!
While this session has seen a substantial number of bills that target and negatively impact public education, we need to celebrate when we have successes – and we definitely have those!
Because of the efforts of teachers, parents, education advocates and the Wyoming Education Association, the following bills have been killed (you can learn more about them here):
- HB100: K12 Uncertified Personnel
- HB194: Obscenity Amendments
- HB248: School Foundation Program Interim Budget Authority
- HB315: K12 Public Education Reorganization
- HB335: Wyoming Educational Religious Freedom Act
- SF156: Expenditure of State funds on K12 Public Schools
- SF173: Education Bankruptcy
- SF178: Fixing Reading Failure
- SF188: Teacher Tenure
- SJR6: School Capitol Construction Constitutional Amendment
Additionally, the WEA has worked with committees and legislators to provide amendments to the following bills:
- HB200: Parental Rights
- SF76: Alternative Teaching Certificate
While there is still problematic language in HB200, we helped to remove the language that mandated the reporting and submission of all materials educators use in their instruction.
Thank you to all of our public education advocates! These successes are due in large part to your engagement, testimony, postcards, texts, calls and other engagement.
We are stronger together and we need to keep the foot on the gas with the bills and issues we still have remaining.
Those bills that are at the top of the priority list include the voucher bill, HB199. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday and now heads to the full Senate. Several amendments were made and adopted that, to a degree, relieve a few of the bill’s problems, including the mandate of statewide or national norms test and the certification of those education service providers. That said, the bill is still unconstitutional and redirects dollars away from public education.
Even if amendments are made to change the funding mechanism for this bill, the reality is that:
- The state is failing to meet its constitutional obligation to fully fund a cost-based model of education.
- As appropriators, they have the ability to move funds to meet that obligation.
- Instead, they are spending $40+ million a year on an unconstitutional voucher program that will harm student performance, hurt public schools especially in rural communities, and have significant detrimental impacts on local and state economies.
SF162 – Education-Block Grant Model Amendments would have significant impacts on public education and the block grant. Pulling teacher salaries out of the model has been a tactic to cut public education funds in the block grant. The argument is that it keeps teacher salaries safe; however, the model funds starting salaries at roughly $39k a year. Across Wyoming, the starting salaries range from high $40k to mid $50k, and the bill does not make this adjustment. This would significantly hamper districts’ abilities to provide block grant adjustments to fund salaries at a level necessary to recruit and retain.
HB172 – Repeal Gun Free Zones was heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, and an additional hour of public comment will be allowed on Tuesday upon the noon recess. The bill is expected to pass committee, but WEA continues working with legislators to provide exemptions to our public schools, much in the same manner as was provided to the University of Wyoming.
Additionally, one of the most significant issues is the funding associated with public education. While the external cost adjustment (ECA) is intact in the Senate, the House cut the ECA by roughly $17 million. Additionally, bills such as HB270/271 cut the amount flowing into the school foundation program by roughly $37 million a year.
Most problematic is the overall view as it relates to property taxes and our state’s savings account, the LSRA (Legislative Stabilization Reserve Account). Numbers are fluid, as amendments are made and adopted on bills still in play. But as of Feb. 13, property tax cuts in the active bills total a cumulative loss to our school foundation program by $353 million in FY26, $378 million in FY27 and $80 million in 2028.
When the state doesn’t have the revenue to pay for education, it pulls from the LSRA to make up the difference – that is, until the account hits $500 million. At that point, a 30% cut to education is enacted. The legislature, aside from cutting taxes, are spending the LSRA down for the “backfills” for these property tax cuts.
When the session started, the LSRA had $1.8 billion. That has been spent down to roughly $1 billion, and the LSRA could potentially be drawn down to $500 million within only a few short years. This is barring any national and/or statewide economic downturn, which is important considering the increased cost of goods due to national tariffs, increased inflation, etc.
It has been opined that this is the specific intent of the Freedom Caucus and others to draw down the LSRA in an effort to cut education funding. This then puts significant risk on the well-being of Wyoming families as well as our state and local economies.
As always, WEA will continue fighting these battles for public education, for students, for education professionals, and for communities. We will call on you for help as the legislative session progresses – you have proven over and over how valuable your voice is to this process. In solidarity, we have strength!
