In a step toward fully funding Wyoming’s public schools, the state legislature’s Joint Appropriations Committee (JAC) voted on Friday to approve a $66.3 million cost adjustment to K-12 education funding, Gillette News Record reports.
This recommendation, intended for the 2025-26 school year, will go to the governor and full legislative body for consideration.
The proposed increase includes an 8.5% funding boost for salaries of both professional and non-professional staff and a 1.068% adjustment for educational materials. The funding is intended to address the shortfall in state support for public schools, which has consistently fallen below the cost-based model used by state consultants since 2020.
Wyoming has two methods for calculating K-12 funding needs: an “evidence-based model,” which reflects cost assessments from state consultants, and a “statutory model,” historically used by the Legislature. In recent years, the Legislature’s funding has been lower than recommended by the evidence-based model by at least $20 million annually. To bring state funding in line with these recommendations, it would require an additional $66.4 million for the upcoming school year.
The need to meet funding targets has become more pressing, partly due to a pending lawsuit filed in 2022 by the Wyoming Education Association. The lawsuit claims that the state has underfunded its schools by not implementing full inflationary adjustments for staff salaries. Wyoming School Boards Association Executive Director Brian Farmer stated that the state may no longer be meeting its constitutional obligation to fund an “adequate” education system, a claim with potential implications in the current litigation.
As legislators weighed the funding proposal, some, including Senator Tara Nethercott of Cheyenne, emphasized the importance of transparent discussion. Senator Nethercott urged that such decisions be debated publicly, especially given the historical precedent set by the Wyoming Supreme Court on education funding requirements.
Senator Dave Kinskey of Sheridan, however, voiced caution regarding the financial commitment, citing declining coal production and Wyoming’s reliance on volatile oil and gas revenues. With these economic uncertainties, Kinskey suggested revisiting the recommendation after the January revenue forecast. Nethercott proposed an amendment to reduce the proposed salary increase from 8.5% to 2%, but her amendment was ultimately voted down.
Representative Lloyd Larsen of Lander expressed support for the full $66.3 million adjustment, cautioning that failing to follow consultant recommendations could pose risks for the Legislature. In a final vote, the JAC narrowly approved the full recommendation, 7-5.
