School finance amendments-5.

2018
STATE OF WYOMING
18LSO-0475
Numbered
1.2

HOUSE BILL

NO.
HB0180

School finance amendments-5.

Sponsored by:
Representative(s) Clem, Blackburn, Edwards, Hallinan, Jennings, Miller and Pownall and Senator(s) Bebout, Driskill, Hicks and Kinskey

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to school finance; amending the education resource block grant model; amending the average daily membership calculation; conforming provisions; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section
1
.

W.S. 21
‑
9
‑
101(d), 21
‑
13
‑
101(a)(xvii) and 21
‑
13
‑
309(m)(
i
v
)(A) and
(v)
(C) are amended to read:

21
‑
9
‑
101
.

Educational programs for schools; standards; core of knowledge and skills; special needs programs; class size requirements; cocurricular activities.

(d)

In addition to subsections (b) and (c) of this section, each school district within this state shall endeavor to maintain when practicable, in kindergarten through grade three (3) within the district, an average class size of no more than
sixteen (16)
eighteen (18)
students per teacher, excluding children with disabilities who spend more than fifty percent (50%) of their time outside of regular classroom instruction.

21
‑
13
‑
101
.

Definitions.

(a)

As used in this chapter:

(xvii)

"Attachment A" to 2011 House Bill 0127 as amended by 2012 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 99
, 2017 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 205 and 2018 House Bill
0180
consists of an enumeration of model components as enacted into law, summarizing and executing recommendations contained within the 2010 cost of education study, as modified by the legislature, and is hereby incorporated into this chapter by this reference;

21
‑
13
‑
309
.

Determination of amount to be included in foundation program for each district.

(m)

In determining the amount to be included in the foundation program for each district, the state superintendent shall:

(iv)

Based upon reports from each district on schools operating within that district for the current school year and on grade configurations contained within each reported school during that school year, compute the average daily membership (ADM) for each reported school and each grade within each reported school in accordance with identified grade configurations subject to the following:

(A)

If t
he
district's
average
daily membership (ADM)
ADM
for
the three (3) immediately preceding school years is greater than the district's ADM from the previous school year,
each reported school shall be computed based upon the average of the school's ADM counts completed at the end of the three (3) immediately
preceding school years
,

or
otherwise each reported school within the district shall be computed based on
the school's ADM for the previous school year
;
, whichever is greater;

(v)

Based upon ADM computations and identified school configurations within each district pursuant to paragraph (iv) of this subsection, compute the foundation program amount for each district as prescribed by the education resource block grant model adopted by the Wyoming legislature as defined under W.S. 21
‑
13
‑
101(a)(xiv), as contained within the spreadsheets and accompanying reports referenced under W.S. 21
‑
13
‑
101(a)(xvii). The following criteria shall be used by the state superintendent in the administration of the education resource block grant model:

(C)

Salaries for all school and district level staffing categories, including teachers, principals and assistant principals, central office administrators, secretarial and clerical staff, operations and maintenance staff and aides and media technicians, shall be based upon average statewide salary levels calibrated under "Attachment A" for each staffing category, adjusted under
subsection (o) of this section, including the experience, education and responsibility level as appropriate and as computed for each staffing category. The statewide average for each staffing category shall be adjusted for each district based upon the district experience, education and responsibility level relative to the statewide average for that category. District experience, education and responsibility level by appropriate staffing category shall be updated each year such that district adjustments reflect the prior school year staffing information. The district adjusted average salary for each staffing category shall be further adjusted for regional cost differences as measured by the
greater of the hedonic wage index or the Wyoming cost
‑
of
‑
living index computed by the division of economic analysis, department of administration and information, with a minimum of one hundred (100) index value, as prescribed by the education resource block grant model. For purposes of the education resource block grant model, the version of the Wyoming cost
‑
of
‑
living index used by the division shall be based upon the unrecalibrated housing cost index weights unless otherwise determined by the legislature based upon recommendation of the joint
education interim committee. In addition, the version of the Wyoming cost
‑
of
‑
living index applied under this subparagraph for any school year shall be the average of the six (6) consecutive semi
‑
annual index reports completed by January 1 of the immediately preceding school year
comparable wage index
computed
in accordance with the
2017 cost of education study
;

Section 2
.

2011 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapte
r 185, Attachment
"A"(b)(ii) and
(iii)

is amended to read:

ATTACHMENT "A"
ATTACHMENT "A" CONTAINS AN ENUMERATION OF EDUCATION RESOURCE BLOCK GRANT MODEL COMPONENTS SUMMARIZING AND EXECUTING RECOMMENDATIONS CONTAINED IN THE 2010 COST OF EDUCATION STUDY AS FOLLOWS:

(b)

Notwithstanding components specified in the 2010 cost of education study accepted by the legislature, the Wyoming education resource block grant model components and the resourcing for
those components, as enacted by the legislature, shall be as follows:

(ii)

Class size:
16
18

for grades Kindergarten through 5;
21
2
3
f
or grades 6 through 12.

(iii)

Core teachers: Elementary school ADM divided by
16

18
;
Middle school ADM divided by
21
2
3
;
High school ADM divided by
21
2
3
.

Section 3.

2011 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 185, Attachment "A"(b)(xxv) as amended by 2017 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 205 Attachment "A"(b)(xxv) is amended to read:

ATTACHMENT "A"
ATTACHMENT "A" CONTAINS AN ENUMERATION OF EDUCATION RESOURCE BLOCK GRANT MODEL COMPONENTS SUMMARIZING AND EXECUTING RECOMMENDATIONS CONTAINED IN THE 2010 COST OF EDUCATION STUDY AS FOLLOWS:

(b)

Notwithstanding components specified in the 2010 cost of education study accepted by the legislature, the Wyoming education resource block grant model components and the resourcing for those components, as enacted by the legislature, shall be as follows:

(xxv)

Vocational education: 0.29 times FTE vocational education ADM; $9,428.77/FTE vocational education teacher for equipment and supplies
;
.
On a prorated basis, an additional one (1) vocational education teacher for every four hundred (400) high school ADM.

Section
4
.

This act is effective July 1, 201
8
.

(END)

1
HB0180