In the final days of the 2026 Legislative Session, there were last-minute bill passages, vetoes, and override votes. Let’s get right into it.
To all of our members and the public education advocates, thank you for your efforts during this session – especially in killing HB178 on the last day of the session. Brought forth by out-of-state interests, this bill’s ultimate intention was to destroy unions and associations, thereby reducing the power of educator voices. WEA worked with our union siblings at Wyoming State AFL-CIO, the Wyoming Public Employees Association, Federated Fire Fighters of Wyoming, and other local unions to defeat this anti-labor bill. After weeks of a prolonged and sustained fight, the House failed to override the Governor’s veto of HB178.
Please consider taking time to thank those legislators who voted against the veto override, as well as Gov. Gordon for his veto of this bill. You can find the list of those votes here; also note that Reps. Davis, Harshman, and Thayer – while excused – were against this bill.
WEA has worked diligently with legislators in both chambers on the recalibration effort. This bill is absolutely a step in the right direction, though we understand that it’s not perfect (for example, it still contains unfunded mandates including food service, SROs, and extracurricular activities). However, the recalibration committee has been extended into the next interim to address these issues and other smaller fixes needed moving forward.
Our work on recalibration is not yet done, but the final bill includes some significant highlights worth sharing:
- An additional $123 million for education funding on an annual basis.
- The additional funding will help to fund an additional 1400 positions across the state.
- ESPs will be eligible for health insurance for those who work over 20 hours a week – a significant step in the right direction to bolster our ESPs!
- Instructional positions including teachers, tutors, counselors, instructional facilitators, nurses, pupil support, and librarians are required to have the average salaries of these positions raised to $75,863. This is a substantial increase from the current actual average of around $63,000. This does not mean everyone in these positions will receive roughly a $12k raise, but it will mean a significant increase for many across the state.
- The model fully funds counselors and nurses in every elementary school.
- Districts may still choose their insurance carrier.
- Districts will still utilize ‘steps and lanes’ – these will be revised to help districts ensure that their average salary complies with the $75k mark.
- The ADM calculation is the greater of a two-year rolling average or the previous year’s figure.
There has been some concern regarding positions outside of the instructional categorical grant, such as supervisory aides, secretarial staff, groundskeepers, custodians, network supervisors, software managers, and computer technicians. These positions are still funded through the block grant. Additionally, these positions being in the block grant allows districts the flexibility to fund the positions that are currently staffed in schools across the state.
Keep in mind that the foundation for the education funding model is based on “prototypical schools” and the interplay with an ADM calculation (ADM is average daily membership, basically the number of students). The prototypical school is defined by the minimum ADM for elementary, middle, and high schools. The recalibration consultants recommend increasing the ADM calculation for elementary schools, which impacts the number of FTEs allotted in the model. Also, most Wyoming districts are seeing a decline in ADM. These two combined components may dilute, but not eliminate, districts’ financial gains afforded in the recalibration.
And we get it: this is a lot of information. To help provide some clarity, WEA will host a webinar to review the recalibration effort at 6pm on Tuesday, March 24. During this conversation we will be available to answer questions that members may have regarding the recalibration effort and how you as locals can now advocate for your locals during your upcoming contract discussions. This Zoom event is open to WEA members only, and registration is required; you can do so here.
Anti-Public Education Bills
Legislators brought forth several of these bills, including property tax cuts, book banning, vouchers, and student speech. This was the first session in recent memory that not a single one of these bills made it over the finish line! It seems that the tide may be turning in the Wyoming Legislature and that Common Sense Conservatives may finally be able to regain control from the Freedom Caucus.
However, our fight is not over, and we won’t rest on our laurels. To start, every single WEA member and education advocate should ensure that they are registered to vote! In the coming months, we’ll provide additional information about ways to make a difference this election season – locally and statewide. Your engagement is vital to the success of electing people who will support public schools and education professionals to do what’s best for our students and our communities. Be on the lookout for ways in which you can help bring back common sense politics – especially to our state legislature.
Thanks to all of you who provided support and advocacy during the legislative session. Our work continues, and we hope you’ll join us on the journey!