K-12 Public School Finance Act
In one sentence
Plain language
Official record
Bill Summary - 26LSO-0486 Bill No.: SF0081 Effective: Multiple Dates LSO No.: 26LSO-0486 Enrolled Act No.: 56 Chapter No.: 82 Prime Sponsor: Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration Catch Title: K-12 public school finance-2. Has Report: Yes Subject: Revision of K-12 public school finance and continuation of the Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration. Summary/Major Elements: This act implements the 2025 cost-of-education study, as modified by the Legislature, and codifies the education resource block grant model that allocates funding for all K-12 public schools. The act requires school districts to expend funds generated for teaching personnel only on instructional purposes and authorizes districts to establish an instructional reserve account to transfer unexpended and unencumbered instructional funds. The act modifies statutes governing cash reserves and expenditure restrictions for funds distributed through the school foundation program. The act modifies reimbursement and payment schedules for special education, transportation, retirement, and entitlement amounts. The act provides an appropriation of two hundred seventy‑five million sixty‑five thousand nine hundred fifty‑five dollars ($275,065,955.00) from the public school foundation program account to fund public K-12 public education. This act creates a dual enrollment grant program by which school districts may seek and receive reimbursement for amounts expended on students enrolling in higher-education courses under an agreement between the school district and a community college or the University of Wyoming. This appropriation includes ten million dollars ($10,000,000.00) per year for the dual enrollment grant program created by this act. The Department of Education is required to promulgate rules to implement the program. The act requires school districts to establish teacher salary schedules for school years 2026-2027 through 2028-2029, ensuring teachers receive the greater of: (1) the average teacher salary established by the education resource block grant model; or (2) up to 110% of the average teacher salary paid by the district in the preceding school year. The act continues the Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration through December 31, 2026; the Select Committee must study mental health supports, school safety and security personnel, school nutrition programs, and technology. The act repeals provisions and makes conforming amendments to existing statutes. Comments: This act has split effective dates. Provisions continuing the Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration and requiring school districts to establish specified salary schedules are effective immediately. The remainder of the act is effective July 1, 2026. The act amends a major program, K-12 public school finance. The act requires reporting. By October 1 of each year, the Wyoming Department of Education must report to the Joint Education Interim Committee on the dual enrollment grant program created in this act. The act also requires the Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration to report its recommendations to the Legislature. The act imposes various reporting requirements on school districts. The act continues the Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration until December 31, 2026. 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 7, 12:48 PM
D · S09
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the bill because it is in good shape with minimal changes from the House, resulting in a slight budget reduction by eliminating an unnecessary appropriation for the recalibration committee.
R · S26
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the bill because it remains largely unchanged from its original form, includes only minor technical corrections and clarifications regarding health insurance calculations, and is constitutional.
R · S30
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the concurrence because it leaves the recalibration product from the committee intact, which is necessary for the finance system to work effectively despite some features that increase spending.
R · S15
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports voting yes because the bill represents a good first step in addressing inflation's impact on school districts following successful negotiation and compromise.
R · S06
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports voting for concurrence but notes a concern regarding collaterally located schools in smaller towns, intending to revisit the issue if problems arise under the new model.
R · H50
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because consultants did not recommend changing how school insurance is funded, implying adherence to expert advice.
R · H36
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment to provide small districts with flexibility, fearing unintended consequences if they are given no wiggle room in their funding silos.
R · H38
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes the amendment because there is already a commitment to study mental health, technology, and school nutrition funding separately.
R · H17
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes the amendment because they believe the bill creates a conflict where teacher salaries are held hostage against other school needs.
R · H40
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment to prevent funding cliffs for small K-12 schools caused by enrollment shifts, ensuring they can maintain necessary services.
R · H21
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes strict silos because they undermine trust in elected school boards and strengthen legal arguments that the funding model is not cost-based.
R · H27
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment as a compromise to provide necessary flexibility for smaller districts that lack the financial resources of larger ones.
R · H54
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because superintendents in his district have requested flexibility to manage unique challenges faced by small Wyoming school districts.
R · H55
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker argues against the need for flexibility by pointing out that schools already have options to move funds between categories like nurses and counselors.
R · H59
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment simply because he feels it is agreeable to provide a small amount of flexibility without causing harm.
R · H56
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because using a three-year period is identified as best practice within the evidence-based model.
R · H18
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes the amendment to ensure all school districts are treated equally, arguing that a standardized cost of living index updated annually is fairer than creating exceptions for specific counties.
R · H37
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because he believes the proposed hedonic wage index is flawed and fails to accurately reflect the high cost of hiring blue-collar workers in certain counties.
D · H45
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment to ensure the bill remains constitutional and avoids future litigation, which she views as a necessary legacy for the state.
R · H22
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment to restore work done over four weeks and address his district's unique high cost of living caused by free market capitalism, which makes it an outlier.
D · H16
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment to avoid permanently breaking the teacher funding silo, proposing a temporary one-year allowance for nutrition spending instead.
R · H32
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because hiring enough teachers immediately is impossible, and this measure helps districts transition into the changes smoothly.
R · H51
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because they believe fiscal transparency is important, even if districts are already reporting this data, as it promotes discussion on school boards.
R · H31
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because it involves school boards in understanding variations from the model, which is more than just additional reporting.
R · H47
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment as a one-year trial or pilot program to provide latitude within the silo and observe how it functions.
R · H46
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes the amendment because they believe all classroom resources should go directly to classrooms for smaller class sizes and better teachers rather than allowing any leakage.
R · H02
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because they disagree with the opinion that no latitude should be given to school districts regarding the silo.
R · H44
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports finding a number other than 100% because rural districts, teachers, and parents are calling to indicate the current bill is not working for everyone.
R · H31
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports Amendment Two because it consolidates funding and codifies provisions for dual enrollment grants and immediate school bus reimbursement.
R · H03
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes Amendment One because she believes the classroom silo is essential for ensuring money reaches teachers and students, which has been a key factor in passing this bill.
R · H58
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes Amendment One because he believes the silo ensures that appropriated salary increases for teachers cannot be diverted to other uses.
D · H14
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because it clarifies health insurance coverage for school employees who work fewer than 30 hours, ensuring they can qualify for benefits.
R · H05
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes the amendment because they believe the bill already provides sufficient funding and flexibility for districts to allocate additional teachers to small schools as needed without a rigid statutory floor.
R · H04
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because calculations show that small rural schools require a minimum of 17 teachers to meet core curriculum and CTE certification requirements, which would otherwise leave them ineligible for additional instructional staff.
R · H29
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because districts composed of multiple small schools lack a large instructional silo to move resources around, making the specific floor necessary for their situation.
R · S30
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment to reduce spending because current resources are a temporary blip and ongoing increases will lead to tax hikes.
R · S16
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes the amendment because it would result in a significant loss of funding for his district and fails to fully eliminate the insurance mandate as desired.
R · S02
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because it removes an irrational policy of paying for health insurance for employees who do not take coverage, promoting fiscal responsibility.
D · S17
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because it allows school districts to choose the cost adjustment formula that best addresses their specific local housing costs and needs.
R · S22
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment to prevent his district's rural school from losing teachers and having to pull resources from other parts of a small county.
R · S23
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes the amendment because he sees no evidence that superintendent salaries are exorbitant and believes local boards should have the opportunity to value executives appropriately based on district size.
R · S11
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because superintendent salaries in some districts exceed those of judges and other top elected officials, which he finds unreasonable given public funding priorities.
R · S06
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes the amendment because he believes capping salaries handicaps local control and that national averages suggest superintendents should be paid significantly more than teachers.
R · S12
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because he believes school boards, not administrators, should set policy and that capping salaries undermines local control.
R · S27
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes the amendment because he believes capping salaries will reduce the pool of qualified candidates willing to lead school districts in a competitive market.
D · S09
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the bill because an instructional silo ensures increased funding is used to hire teachers rather than being diverted elsewhere, which was essential for committee consensus.
R · S26
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the measure because it served as the critical element that maintained unity within the committee.
R · S15
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the bill because it focuses on raising teacher salaries to be competitive with neighboring states, which was necessary to fill teaching positions.
R · S31
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker urges a vote against the amendment to maintain the committee's work prioritizing teachers for students.
R · S26
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the bill to keep the recalibration process alive and adhere to court wishes regarding K-12 education funding.
If a lawmaker is not listed, we couldn't find a published reason.
Wyoming roll calls
17 roll calls
Official activity
Changes
30 stored
Failed 2nd reading by Representative Williams
Adopted 2nd reading by Representative Heiner
Failed 2nd reading by Representative Harshman
Corrected, Corrected, Failed 3rd reading by Representative Harshman
Failed 3rd reading by Representative Williams
Failed 3rd reading by Representative Yin
Failed 3rd reading by Representative Williams
Failed 3rd reading by Representative Harshman
Failed 3rd reading by Representative Harshman
Adopted 3rd reading by Representative Yin
Failed 3rd reading by Representative Yin
Adopted 3rd reading by Representative Bear
Failed 3rd reading by Representative Filer
Failed Committee of the Whole by Representative Williams
Adopted Committee of the Whole by Representative Andrew
Failed Committee of the Whole by Representative Connolly
Adopted Standing Committee by House Education Committee
Adopted Standing Committee by House Appropriations Committee
Failed 2nd reading by Senator Scott
Failed 3rd reading by Senator Scott
Withdrawn 3rd reading by Senator Scott
Withdrawn 3rd reading by Senator Scott
Adopted 3rd reading by Senator Rothfuss
Withdrawn 3rd reading by Senator Schuler
Failed 3rd reading by Senator Dockstader
Failed 3rd reading by Senator Crago
Failed 3rd reading by Senator Barlow
Failed 3rd reading by Senator Barlow
Adopted Committee of the Whole by Senator Hicks
Corrected, Corrected, Adopted Standing Committee by Senate Education Committee