Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/766038
BACK TO SCHOOL 2016 | wyoea.org 5 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE Ron Sniffin WEA Executive Director rsniffin@wyoea.org State Must Explore Revenue For Schools Wyoming's economic downturn may have a significant impact on Wyoming public education. Reports indicate that there could be up to a $700 million shortfall in the 2019-2021 school foundation biennial budget, which is $350 million per year. Governor Matt Mead addressed the shortfall and told reporters that the state "can't cut its way out of this," as reported in the Casper Star Tribune. During the Governor's presentation of his budget to the Joint Appropriations Committee on December 12 th , he indicated that third graders did not cause this downturn. Education funding is the only state funding model that is self- correcting. Education funding is based on the student enrollment averaged over the prior three years. The three-year average helps schools prepare for reduced funding without having to drastically make adjustments in a single year. It is estimated that Wyoming may be down 800 students this school year. While lawmakers are looking at additional funding cuts, significant cuts will be made automatically as a result of declining enrollment. Fortunately for Wyoming students, the state must provide a high- quality education as specified in the Wyoming Constitution. Ensuring that all students receive a quality education can be expensive, especially in rural communities. Small districts are the most expensive because they lack economy of scale. For example, the school funding formula may only fund half of a position; therefore, the district may have to find the funds to pay for a full-time position, or face eliminating a program. Wyoming students, and the schools they attend, have had the benefit of funding largely from the mineral industry. Now in the midst of a mineral bust, Governor Mead told the media that it's time to dust off a 2000 report that studied other sources of revenue. "I don't think we ought to be taking anything off the board right now in terms of consideration of how we tax," Mead told the Casper Star-Tribune. A recent Casper Star report states that lawmakers, educators and other officials are discussing a number of methods for addressing the situation. "We're going to have to look for a major new revenue stream," Rep. John Freeman, D-Green River, told the CST. "Whether it's coming from savings into education or new fees or whatever, but I think we have to put everything on the table and look at the best for our students." The CST article also stated Rep. Steve Harshman's desire to propose legislation that will create a super-committee to address the issue. He said it would be composed of eight legislators, including two each from the joint committees on education, appropriations and revenue. The committee would also include advisers from key stakeholders, like state educators, and the super-committee would travel the state to gather more input. Many legislators are also saying that now is not the time to cut education funding, especially as we see academic gains. Outgoing Representative Mary Throne told the Casper Star, "I think it takes time in education to see growth and improvement, and I think our investments are paying off," she said. "And if we truly want to grow our economy, we need to keep our education system to attract families and business to Wyoming." We agree with Governor Mead that now is not the time to make drastic cuts. There should be a committee that explores other options and listens to key stakeholders, including parents and students. It is time to explore other funding streams, including the rainy day fund. "We can't cut our way out of this." Governor Matt Mead