Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/877067
Back-to-School 2017 | wyoea.org 18 21-13-307(a)(iv), the 16:1 class size ratio for students in grades K-3. The School Facilities Department (SFD) recalculated the capacity of classrooms based on a 25:1 ratio. Some classes such as science and vocational classes were based on lower ratios, and self-contained special education capacities were calculated using a 10:1 ratio. The SFD report states that this adjustment to the capacity calculation "recogniz[es] that unrestricted use of space within schools maximizes the most efficient use of available square footage in buildings in order to deliver quality educational services." The new calculation presents many challenges for Wyoming school children. A higher capacity ratio means schools will be built with fewer classrooms, locking a school into larger class sizes in the future. This is at odds with the current funding model, which funds K-6 at a 16:1 ratio, and 6-12 (if 6 is in middle school) at a 21:1 ratio. Major Maintenance: Through House Bill 0058, Enrolled Act 124, the legislature commissioned a study of major maintenance practices across the state. The Act charged the SFD with studying the allocation of major maintenance funds, as well as the process and procedures used by school districts in expending those funds. The study revealed that routine and major maintenance processes vary widely across the state. For example, there is no consistent approach to executing major maintenance projects, performing routine maintenance, or capturing and reporting costs. Maintenance management strategies, practices, use of technology, and training are inconsistent across districts, and there is no link between routine maintenance and major maintenance process and outcomes. The study identified key elements of a well-managed public-school facilities asset preservation program that could be implemented to standardize major maintenance projects across the districts, creating more efficient use of resources. The key findings indicate that districts should take a holistic lifecycle view to better manage maintenance, implement and train district staff on a statewide, standardized Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) to optimize maintenance processes and capture required lifecycle cost data, and address major maintenance funding gaps so that schools may continue to meet current educational delivery requirements. Legislative Calendar School Finance Recalibration Oct. 12-13, 2017 School Facilities Oct. 30, 2017 Joint Revenue Committee Nov. 6-7, 2017 Joint Education Committee Nov. 14-15, 2017 School Finance Recalibration Nov. 28-29, 2017 Joint Revenue Committee Dec. 4-5, 2017 School Finance Recalibration Jan. 23-24, 2018 Budget Legislative Session Feb. 12, 2018