Wyoming Education Association

Summer 2017

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| WEAnews 18 www.wyoea.org 18 Action WEA Legislative Update Ken Decaria WEA Government Relations Director kdecaria@wyoea.org From now until the Wyoming Legislative session in February 2018 is a critical time for school funding in Wyoming. The Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration will be meeting during the interim to make recommendations to the full Legislature on what the funding level for schools will be going forward. All items in the school funding model will be looked at. For example, some of the items that may be looked at include class sizes, instructional facilitators, what should be taught in schools, special education funding, and employee salaries. Everything in the current school funding model could be open for discussion. Any cuts made will decrease the funding that schools receive. Creation of the Select Committee was the result of House Bill 236 from the 2017 general session. This legislation in its original form was a comprehensive solution to the school funding shortfall. It was crafted with the understanding that Wyoming could not cut its way out of the shortfall and contained cuts along with additional revenue measures. It was amended during the session to remove most of the revenue measures but left in cuts to K-12 funding. So, in addition to the traditional recalibration topics, this committee was also given the task of looking at topics not traditionally in the recalibration process. Besides looking at what is required to be taught in Wyoming schools and how to provide that education, the committee will also look at recommendations on where revenues to fund schools should come from. The first meeting is scheduled for June 12. 2017, at Central Wyoming College in Riverton. It will be held jointly with the Joint Revenue Interim Committee. During their meeting, there will be a review of K-12 funding, an update on the projected funding shortfall, information about how schools outside Wyoming fund schools, a summary of major revenue sources in Wyoming, and issues with imposition of new revenues. This will be the first of several meetings to be held. So far it is the only one that has been scheduled. Additional meetings are expected to be held in other communities throughout Wyoming. Information on future meetings can be found on the Wyoming Legislative web site at http://legisweb.state.wy.us. In addition to the Select Committee, the Joint Education Committee will also be meeting during the interim. One of the topics that has been assigned to this committee is to study and explore potential efficiencies and other cost saving options in Wyoming public education to address the funding deficit for school operations, school facilities and major maintenance. In studying this priority, the Committee may consult with the Joint Revenue Interim Committee and the Select Education Finance and School Recalibration Committee as necessary. They will meet on June 20th and 21st at Casper College. The JEC has scheduled future meetings on September 27-28, 2017, and November 14-15, 2017, in Casper, Wyoming. In addition to school funding they will also be looking at education accountability. These meetings will have an impact on the education that students in Wyoming receive. They will also affect the conditions that educational employees will be asked to work in. WEA will be present at all meetings. WEA cannot accomplish what is needed alone--it will also require members, parents, and others to make sure students get the quality education they are entitled to. Together we can work to protect the interests of Wyoming's children. A Critical Time For School Funding In Wyoming SUMMER 2017

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