Senators restore full K-12 school funding after court decision

CHEYENNE — On the heels of an unfavorable district court decision on K-12 public school funding this week, state lawmakers restored the full $66.3 million external cost adjustment on Friday.

The funding was brought through an amendment introduced by Senate Majority Floor Leader Tara Nethercott, R-Cheyenne, to a school recalibration bill, after the Wyoming Senate nixed the supplemental budget in an unprecedented move Wednesday night.

Nethercott’s amendment to House Bill 316, “School finance-model recalibration- 2,” restored the full $66.3 million cost adjustment to the K-12 block grant, after legislative appropriators had cut it down to $48.8 million in the supplemental budget. Lawmakers were told last fall the $66.3 million would put the state back on track to fully funding its K-12 public schools.

“As we know, this past week we received some information suggesting that it would be prudent to fully fund the (cost adjustment),” Nethercott said. “... I strongly suggest we do.”

Lawmakers faced external pressure to fully fund Wyoming’s public schools after a Laramie County district court judge dropped a bombshell 186-page decision Wednesday, finding that Wyoming has unconstitutionally underfunded its K-12 public school system.

“The Court notes, because 2025 is a recalibration year, there is an excellent window of opportunity to address these issues,” District Judge Peter H. Froelicher wrote in his decision.

Nethercott’s amendment passed by a vote of 19-12. The bill passed the Senate 29-2 and must now pass a concurrence vote in the House of Representatives. If House members concur with the Senate’s amendments, the bill will go to the governor’s desk for his signature.

Child development funding

Sen. Bill Landen, R-Casper, also attempted to tack on $4 million for child development centers to HB 316. This money was originally a mirror amendment in the supplemental budget — meaning it passed both the House of Representatives and the Senate — and it funded half of the original $8 million request by the Wyoming Department of Health.

Since the budget was nixed, this money for special education preschools was discarded with it.

“I do want to reiterate how important these centers are,” Landen said.

Representatives from child development centers, including STRIDE Learning Center in Cheyenne, have long told legislators they’re at risk of permanently shutting their doors due to insufficient state funding.

After the Senate announced it would not pass the supplemental budget, lawmakers quickly worked to find homes for budget items through amendments to various bills.

However, some lawmakers pushed back against these amendments, arguing it violated legislative procedure.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Tim Salazar, R-Riverton, who is a strong supporter of child development center funding, said Friday he regrettably could not support Landen’s amendment, because it was not germane to the bill.

“Everyone here knows how I feel about this issue. I fought tooth and nail for this in the budget,” Salazar said. “But I need to be intellectually honest — I am concerned about the germaneness of this, in this bill. … It has nothing to do, as you all know, with how I feel about this issue.”

Landen’s amendment failed to pass the Senate, but a similar approach is taking place down the hall. Rep. Elissa Campbell, R-Casper, made a similar attempt, adding the $4 million child development center appropriation to Senate File 22.

Although her amendment failed, Rep. Mike Yin, D-Jackson, told the WTE there could be more attempts to add child development center funding to Senate bills in the House next week. As for the Senate, Landen told the WTE he would not be making any more amendments.

“I am disappointed with today’s vote, but I will continue to fight for the work our (child development centers) do,” Landen said in a text message.

This story was published on March 1, 2025.