As Wyoming faces projected revenue declines, some state lawmakers are expressing hesitation about increasing funding for school maintenance projects, Gillette News Record reports.
During a meeting of the Legislature’s Select Committee on School Facilities in Cheyenne, Sens. Troy McKeown (R-Gillette) and Larry Hicks (R-Baggs) voted against a proposed bill that would change the state’s formula for funding major school maintenance.
The bill seeks to adjust the current formula by increasing the allowable square footage from 115% to 135%, which would allow 18 out of 48 school districts to receive full funding. However, this adjustment would still leave 1.9 million square feet of school facilities unfunded. To fully cover all districts, the percentage would need to increase to 235%, according to Legislative Service Office analyst Matthew Willmarth. The proposal also raises the replacement cost value multiplier from 2% to 2.5%, with a total appropriation of $43.6 million from the Public School Foundation Program (SFP).
The SFP is primarily funded by Wyoming’s federal mineral royalties (FMRs), but revenue from this source is expected to decrease. A report from the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group (CREG) projects a drop in FMR distributions to the SFP by $144.5 million for the 2025-26 biennium and another decrease of $23.9 million in the 2027-28 period.
Sen. Hicks voiced concerns over long-term funding, citing projected declines in revenue and the state’s focus on other financial priorities, such as property tax relief for Wyoming residents. He suggested making the bill a one-time appropriation rather than a permanent change, proposing that lawmakers revisit the formula after the 2025 recalibration.
Sen. Bo Biteman (R-Ranchester) echoed Hicks’ concerns, suggesting that the 2.5% multiplier increase, which contributes to the higher cost of the bill, might be scaled back to the current 2% level to reduce the financial burden.
However, Sen. Chris Rothfuss (D-Laramie) defended the bill, arguing that it represents the most cost-effective solution for the state in the long run by reducing the need for costly school replacements. Rothfuss and other supporters emphasized that fully funding major maintenance could lead to fewer component project requests for schools at risk of closure due to poor conditions.
The bill was ultimately forwarded to the Joint Appropriations Committee with a 7-2 vote, despite opposition from Sens. Hicks and McKeown. The future of school maintenance funding in Wyoming will now be further considered, with lawmakers balancing the need for proper facility upkeep against the backdrop of declining state revenues.
