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25LSO-0329
2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-0329
ENGROSSED
3.0
SENATE FILE NO. SF0109
Open enrollment within Wyoming school districts.
Sponsored by: Senator(s) Brennan, Boner and Olsen and Representative(s) Andrew, Bear, Harshman and Lawley
A BILL
for
AN ACT relating to education; allowing children to enroll in any public school within their resident school district as specified; providing exceptions; providing priority for specified students; requiring reporting by school districts; amending the duties of the school district board of trustees; requiring the state superintendent of public instruction to publish reported information; making conforming amendments; and providing for an effective date.
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
Section 1.
W.S. 21
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202(a) by creating a new paragraph (xli), 21
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110(a) by creating a new paragraph (xliv), 21
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301 by creating new subsections (c) through (f) and 21
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303 are amended to read:
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202.
Duties of the state superintendent.
(a)
In addition to any other duties assigned by law, the state superintendent shall:
(xli)
Annually publish on the department's official website the information reported by each school district board of trustees under W.S. 21
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110(a)(xliv).
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110.
Duties of boards of trustees.
(a)
The board of trustees in each school district shall:
(xliv)
Adopt policies and procedures allowing any pupil to enroll in any public school within the pupil's resident school district as required by W.S. 21
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301 and in accordance with this paragraph. A pupil shall apply to be enrolled in a public school within a pupil's resident school district on a form and in the manner prescribed by the school district board of trustees. Priority shall be given to pupils who attended the school the previous year, pupils who reside within the school attendance area as defined by W.S. 21
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301(c)(ii), pupils participating in a school based education program and pupils who have siblings currently enrolled in that public school. Any parent or guardian aggrieved by a decision of the school district under this paragraph may seek review in accordance with the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act.
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301.
Schools to be free and accessible to all children; minimum school year; open enrollment.
(c)
Commencing with school year 2026
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2027 and each school year thereafter, the board of trustees of each school district within the state shall provide for the enrollment of any pupil in any public school within the pupil's resident school district, except as otherwise provided in subsection (d) of this section. For purposes of this subsection:
(i)
"Resident school district" means the school district where the pupil resides;
(ii)
"School attendance area" means a geographic area designed by a school district to determine which public school a pupil is eligible to attend within their resident school district.
(d)
The board of trustees of each school district may decline to enroll a pupil in a public school within the pupil's resident school district for the following reasons:
(i)
The public school does not have sufficient capacity at the appropriate grade level as determined by the school district; or
(ii)
The pupil has been suspended or expelled or is in the process of being suspended or expelled under W.S. 21
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305 and 21
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306.
(e)
In implementing the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, no school district board of trustees shall be required to establish and offer any particular program in a public school if the program is not currently offered in the school. No school district shall be required to provide transportation to a student who enrolls at a school pursuant to the rights provided by this section and W.S. 21-3-110(a)(xliv) when the student would not otherwise be provided transportation under the school district's transportation policies.
(f)
The board of trustees of each school district shall publish the number of vacancies open for enrollment in each grade level for each public school within its district on its official website not less than one (1) time every twelve (12) weeks.
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303.
Right not denied on account of sex, race, religion, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, disability or residential address.
No child shall be denied the right to attend the public schools of this state on account of sex, race,
socioeconomic status, ethnicity, disability, residential address
or religion.
Section 2
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This act is effective July 1, 2026
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(END)
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SF0109