Amendments to Charter School Authorizations
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Bill Summary - 25LSO-0271 Bill No.: HB0094 Effective: 7/1/2025 LSO No.: 25LSO-0271 Enrolled Act No.: HEA No. 0047 Chapter No.: 127 Prime Sponsor: Andrew Catch Title: Charter school authorizations-amendments. Has Report: No Subject: Removing a limitation on the number of charter schools that the Charter School Authorizing Board may authorize. Summary/Major Elements: In 2023, the Legislature created the Wyoming Charter School Authorizing Board to review applications and approve the creation and operation of charter schools. The 2023 law also specified that not more than three charter schools could be approved before July 1, 2026 by any entity other than a local school district board. This act removes the approval limitation and specifies that, beginning July 1, 2025, the Wyoming Charter School Authorizing Board may authorize any number of charter schools in accordance with the laws governing the Board and charter schools. Comments: The Legislature overrode the Governor's veto of this act. The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent. While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.
Public statements
Last checked Aug 5, 8:07 AM
R · H46
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because it corrects a logistical issue by extending the charter application window, which would otherwise be too short to allow for any meaningful action.
R · S30
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the bill as a necessary fix for parents whose students are not being adequately served by existing schools, particularly regarding learning difficulties.
R · S08
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker cautions against removing caps on new charter schools due to concerns about the significant costs of renovating empty or substandard buildings for their use.
R · S15
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the bill because it creates opportunities to improve education in the state and allows for more specialty options.
D · S09
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the bill because it clarifies how lease payments for school facilities are calculated based on square footage and market value.
R · H21
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports limiting charter schools because removing caps would allow anyone with any anticipation to apply, potentially bottlenecking the system and costing a great amount of money.
R · H32
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because unlimited funding for charter schools diverts resources from existing public school districts that have critical infrastructure needs like broken elevators and sewer issues.
R · H47
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because they believe funding charter schools conflicts with public school needs while property tax cuts are reducing funds for existing districts.
R · H46
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes the amendment because charter schools are already funded through existing mechanisms like ADM, and data from other states shows that caps are unnecessary as growth remains naturally controlled.
R · H22
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment to limit charter schools because an explosion of applications would overwhelm the board responsible for reviewing them.
R · H31
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes the amendment because charter schools provide a lower-cost educational option that fulfills constitutional obligations while giving parents more choices.
R · H62
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because they believe it is not the state's responsibility to fund parents' choices to leave the public education system, especially when constitutional obligations already exist.
R · H57
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because they believe there are significant startup costs and construction funding associated with charter schools that make them extremely costly.
R · H39
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes the amendment's time limits because existing oversight bodies can manage appropriate timelines without a statutory cap, allowing demand to be met naturally.
R · H37
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment's funding provisions because charter schools require significant startup costs for facilities and leasing that school districts cannot cover without state appropriation.
If a lawmaker is not listed, we couldn't find a published reason.
Wyoming roll calls
7 roll calls
Official activity
Changes
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The amendment changes the bill to limit the number of charter schools that can be authorized by the Wyoming Charter School Authorizing Board to two per year, adds funding for new charter schools, and extends certain deadlines.
This amendment overrides the governor's veto of a bill that allows for changes in charter school regulations.
The amendment changes the bill by setting a limit on new charter school authorizations and specifying when this limit will end.
The amendment removes a limitation on the number of charter schools that can be authorized, adds reporting requirements for fiscal impacts, and makes other conforming changes.
The amendment changes specific dates in the bill from March 15, 2025 to July 1, 2025.