The legality of a letter — Fremont County school district drafts letter in secret
LANDER — After behind-the-scenes discussions, Fremont County School District 1 board members took a position on controversial education bills under debate in Cheyenne: No position.
Instead, the Lander school board drafted an opinion piece generally in support of educators and sent it out to staff and the media on Friday afternoon.
How did the board come to a decision about the letter? It didn’t happen in a public meeting, as required by Wyoming law. Instead, it appears as though board members voiced their opinions in a series of emails.
Board Clerk Scott Jensen said in a Monday interview that, in individual email exchanges, board members conferred about whether to call a special meeting to take a stance on the proposed legislation, sussing out whether they might reach a consensus to support or oppose the bills. In the end, they didn’t agree.
The board instead decided not to call a meeting and to draft a letter signed by each board member that simply stressed Lander School Board members’ support for educators in light of the “current political environment [in which teachers can feel] attacked, devalued, and under-appreciated.”
But Wyoming law is clear. Local government decisions – be it to pen a letter or to take a position on legislation – need to be made in the light of day, in a public meeting.
The bills
One thing is clear: Not everyone on the Lander School Board agrees.
Board member Aileen Brew crafted her own opinion piece, calling HB 100’s efforts to allow anyone over 18 who can pass a background check to be a teacher “short-sighted.”
She said the legislation “undermines and devalues” Lander’s educators and erodes the quality education found in Wyoming.
Jensen disagreed, noting the proposed legislation doesn’t require districts to hire unqualified instructors. Instead, it opens doors.
“I believe it gives more local control to districts to decide who is most qualified to fill a position,” he said, adding this scenario: “Let’s say for example you have somebody that has served in the Army for 28 years and finished their career as a sergeant major, the highest enlisted rank that you can achieve,” Jensen described.
That sergeant is fluent in Spanish and married to a Spanish speaker; it’s what they speak at home. Compare the sergeant to the very recent graduate who just completed four years of Spanish in high school, four years in college, and very recently got certified to teach in Wyoming.
“Which of those people are more qualified [to teach Spanish]?” Jensen asked the question; it almost answered itself.
But others think the lax requirements of the bill will both erode public education in Wyoming and insult educators who spent years earning high teaching credentials.
Brew said public education was “taking a beating” under that, and other bills.
HB 100 was referred to the House Education Committee on January 24, and hasn’t gained much traction there.
HB 199 would allow for a $7,000 stipend or subsidy for each child opting for something other than public K-12 schools in Wyoming, and Brew questioned the lack of accountability in that legislation.
Other education leaders across the state have also claimed that the expanded school voucher program would syphon students away from public schools, taking their school funding with them.
Skirting the law
The Wyoming Open Meetings Act requires governing bodies to make decisions only during public meetings.
The Lander Journal made a data request to view the email conversations that included the board’s decision not to formally oppose or support the legislative bills and to issue a letter of support for teachers but has yet to receive the documents.
Jensen described the email threads as an effort to determine whether the board could be “unified in support or opposition” to the legislation.
But he said he didn’t think the decisions made via email constituted a violation of the Open Meetings Act.
“I can speak just for myself. The way I looked at that, I did not view it that we made a decision on anything of substance,” he said. “There was a question about whether or not we should come out in support of something and should we have a special meeting to do that.”
The letter cheerleading district teachers, he described, “was something that we needed to say to district staff just to help with morale.”
“My preference would have been a public meeting to discuss this,” noted Brew in a Tuesday interview.
She said other school board meetings, such as the meeting Tuesday night in Jeffrey City, made getting the board together for a special meeting to consider the legislation more complicated.
“I think, rightfully so, a lot of our employees wanted to know what our response was going to be and if we had one,” she explained. “So our online conversation was in large part trying to figure out that response knowing that we had other items on the agenda this week in terms of public meetings.”
Brew said she penned her own letter opposing a list of bills beforehand.
“I really feel like some of these bills in particular coming out of the House of Representatives are really striking at the heart of some of the things I find worthwhile and in need of our support in Wyoming public education,” she explained.
But, despite the board as a whole opting not to take a stance on HB 100 or others, Brew said she didn’t feel like she was in the minority.
“Truly I don’t,” she said. “Because I do believe that our entire board stands behind its certified teachers. I really believe that. And our board understands that the quality of our teachers is the direct connection between the quality instruction our students get and the high achievement levels we see in our district. Those commitments are there from the board … to the employees of our district.”
“We’re going to do what we can to make sure education here remains strong regardless of what happens in Cheyenne,” Jensen noted. “In Lander, I think we care about our kids more than folks in Cheyenne do, or folks in Washington.”
Not alone
Lander isn’t alone in casting email votes behind the scenes over the legislation.
On Saturday, January 25, Riverton Superintendent Jodi Ibach emailed the Riverton School Board and, citing an expected Monday hearing over HB 100, called for an email vote on whether to formally oppose the bill.
Board members cast their electronic votes, and then board member Lori Morrow drafted a letter of opposition.
The letter was emailed in two batches to House members, one at 4:44 p.m. Monday, the other at 5:10 p.m.
HB 100, Morrow wrote, “undermines the morale and professional recognition of licensed educators,” and “devalues the teaching profession, risking a decline in the quality of education.”
This story was published on February 5, 2025.
THE LETTER:
Standing together in support of public education
By Jared Kail, FCSD#1 Board chair;
Scott Jensen, FCSD#1 Board clerk
Aileen Brew, FCSD#1 Board member
Mara Gans, FCSD#1 Board member
Mike McConnell, FCSD#1 Board vice chair
Taylor Jacobs, FCSD#1 Board treasurer
Karen Harms, FCSD#1 Board member
The Fremont County School District #1 Board of Trustees would like to reaffirm its unwavering support for all our administrators, teachers, and staff. We recognize that recent discussions and proposed legislation at the Wyoming State Legislature have raised concerns.
The public schools in Lander are cornerstones of our community. They represent our collective commitment to ensuring that every child, regardless of their background, has access to the knowledge and skills necessary to lead a successful and fulfilling life. By any measure, our schools do an excellent job at this.
At the heart of our schools are the dedicated teachers who work tirelessly to inspire and guide their students. Teachers are more than just educators: They are mentors, role models, and champions for our kids. They invest countless hours in lesson planning, grading, and professional development to ensure they are providing the highest quality education possible.
In the current political environment, teachers can feel attacked, devalued, and under-appreciated.
As the governing board of Fremont County School District #1, we want to make clear our commitment to ensuring our schools continue to offer high-quality educational opportunities for all students. We recognize this is largely accomplished by supporting the hard work and professionalism of our teachers, staff, and administrators. No legislation considered or passed in Cheyenne will change that.
Regardless of what happens in this legislative session, we want all our employees to know that the board stands behind them 100%. We are proud of the outstanding work being done in our schools every day, and we remain committed to adapting to any legislative changes while keeping the best interests of our students, staff, and community at the forefront.
Fremont County School District #1 is among the best school districts in Wyoming, and no matter what unfolds at the Capitol, we will continue to lead education in our state.
In early February, select board members and our superintendent will attend the Legislative Education Forum in Cheyenne to advocate for the interests of Fremont County School District #1, its students, and its employees. Additionally, the board will hold further discussions on these legislative issues at its next regular meeting on February 18.
In the meantime, we encourage our educators and staff to stay focused on the incredible work they do each day, knowing that they have our full support.
Public education is the foundation of our community, and together, we will continue to make Fremont County School District #1 a leader in Wyoming – regardless of what happens down in Cheyenne.
Editor’s note: The Fremont County School District #1 Board of Trustees did not vote, discuss, or otherwise consider this letter or its position on legislation during any publicly noticed board meeting. Under Wyoming transparency laws, government bodies may not make decisions outside such public meetings. The Lander Journal is awaiting a data request to determine how the board reached its decision to issue this letter outside the light of day. Keep reading for that story.