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25LSO-0195
2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-0195
ENGROSSED
3.0
SENATE FILE NO. SF0126
Establishment of a K-8 public lab school.
Sponsored by: Senator(s) Rothfuss, Biteman, Brennan, Crum and Schuler and Representative(s) Andrew, Chestek, Johnson, Provenza, Sherwood and Singh
A BILL
for
AN ACT relating to education; providing definitions; requiring a kindergarten through grade eight (8) public lab school; specifying the purpose of the public lab school; creating a governing board; specifying membership of the governing board; specifying duties of the governing board; specifying enrollment requirements and preferences; specifying funding; requiring reporting; specifying the first year of enrollment; and providing for an effective date.
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
Section 1
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W.S. 21
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17
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501 through 21
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17
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504 are created to read:
ARTICLE 5
TEACHER EDUCATION K
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8 PUBLIC LAB SCHOOL
21
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17
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501.
Creation of a K
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8 public lab school; purpose.
(a)
There is created a public lab school to teach kindergarten through grade eight (8) to accomplish the following purposes:
(i)
Promote developmentally appropriate differentiated instruction that is model learner
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centered for students;
(ii)
Serves as a teacher education institution and educational learning site for pre
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service teachers of all levels;
(iii)
Identifies best teaching practices that can be utilized in public schools statewide.
(b)
The public lab school established pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall be a coordinated effort between the University of Wyoming and the resident school district. For purposes of this article, "resident school district" means the public school district that is located where the University of Wyoming's main campus is located.
(c)
The public lab school established pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall be an independent public school within the resident school district and shall be accountable to the governing board established pursuant to W.S. 21
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17
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502 for purposes of ensuring compliance with applicable laws and the requirements of the state constitution.
(d)
The public lab school established pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall be located on the main campus of the University of Wyoming. Any contract executed between the governing body, established by W.S. 21
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17
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502(a), and the University of Wyoming shall be subject to the provisions of W.S. 21
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17
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502(b).
21
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17
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502.
Creation of a governing board; membership; duties.
(a)
There is created a governing board to consist of seven (7) voting members and one (1) ex
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officio, nonvoting member to govern the operation of the public lab school established pursuant to W.S. 21
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17
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501. The governing board shall consist of the following eight (8) members:
(i)
One (1) member that serves on the resident school district's board of trustees;
(ii)
The superintendent of the resident school district, or his designee;
(iii)
The dean of the University of Wyoming's college of education, or his designee;
(iv)
One (1) member appointed by the dean of the University of Wyoming's college of education;
(v)
The superintendent of public instruction, or his designee;
(vi)
One (1) teacher that instructs or will instruct at the public lab school established pursuant to W.S. 21
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17
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501 selected by the teachers that teach at the public lab school;
(vii)
One (1) parent of a student that attends or will attend the public lab school established pursuant to W.S. 21
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17
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501 selected by the parents of students that attend the public lab school;
(viii)
The principal of the public lab school established pursuant to W.S. 21
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17
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501, who shall serve as the chair of the governing board and as an ex
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officio member and shall not have the right to vote.
(b)
The governing board may negotiate and contract with the resident school district or the University of Wyoming, or any third party for the use of a school building and grounds, the operation and maintenance thereof, and the provision of any service, activity or undertaking that the public lab school established pursuant to W.S. 21
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17
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501 is required to perform in order to carry out the educational program. Any services for which the governing board contracts for as provided for under this subsection shall be pursuant to a written contract. If the contract is with the resident school district or the University of Wyoming, the services shall be provided by the resident school district or the University of Wyoming at an incremental cost.
(c)
The governing board shall have standing to sue and be sued in its own name for the enforcement of any contract created pursuant to this section.
(d)
The governing board shall be responsible for the operation of the public lab school established pursuant to W.S. 21
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17
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501 including, but not limited to, preparation of a budget, contracting for services and personnel matters.
(e)
The governing board, in consultation with the University of Wyoming, shall determine educational placements of students enrolled at the University of Wyoming including, but not limited to, students enrolled in teaching programs, in the public lab school established pursuant to W.S. 21
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17
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501.
(f)
Not later than September 1, 2025, and each September 1 every year thereafter, the governing board shall report to the joint education interim committee on the implementation and administration of the public lab school established pursuant to W.S. 21
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17
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501. The report shall include at minimum:
(i)
Student achievement data;
(ii)
Enrollment;
(iii)
The level of engagement with the University of Wyoming's college of education in student teacher placement;
(iv)
The impact of the school on the University of Wyoming’s teaching program;
(v)
Proposed statutory modifications.
21
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17
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503.
Admission to the public lab school; operation; curriculum.
(a)
The public lab school established pursuant to W.S. 21
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17
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501 shall:
(i)
Be authorized to offer any educational program that may be offered by a school district established pursuant to W.S. 21
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3
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101 through 21
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3
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104 unless expressly prohibited by state law;
(ii)
Meet the state uniform educational program standards imposed upon public schools by W.S. 21
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9
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101 and 21
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9
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102 and the uniform state student content and performance standards prescribed by the state board of education under W.S. 21
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2
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304, including compliance with requirements under the statewide assessment system pursuant to W.S. 21
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2
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304(a)(v).
(b)
The public lab school established pursuant to W.S. 21
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17
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501 may operate free from specified school district policies and state regulations. The governing board established pursuant to W.S. 21
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17
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502 may waive requirements imposed by the resident school district, without seeking approval of the state board of education established pursuant to W.S. 21
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2
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301. The state board may waive state statutory requirements or rules promulgated by the state board, except that the state board shall not waive any statute or rule relating to the assessments or standards required to be administered. Upon request of the governing board, the state board shall provide summaries of such regulations and policies to use in preparing a request for a waiver from state regulations. The state department of education established pursuant to W.S. 21
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2
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104 shall prepare the summary of state regulations within existing appropriations. Any waiver of the resident school district regulations made pursuant to this subsection shall be for the period of the operation of the public lab school established pursuant to W.S. 21
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17
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501, except that a waiver of state statutes or regulations by the state board shall be subject to review every two (2) years and may be revoked if the waiver is deemed no longer necessary by the state board. Nothing in this subsection shall be deemed to exempt the public lab school established pursuant to W.S. 21
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17
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501 from:
(i)
Any civil rights, health or safety requirements applicable to other public schools in the state except as specifically provided in this article;
(ii)
The student assessment and accountability requirements applicable to other public schools;
(iii)
The public records act and public meeting requirements applicable to public schools and school districts and any federal or state privacy laws applicable to public schools or school districts.
(c)
Admission to the public lab school established pursuant to W.S. 21
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17
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501 shall be open to all students residing within the resident school district to the extent there is capacity within the applicable grade level at the school. Capacity of the school shall be as determined by the state construction department established pursuant to W.S. 9
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2
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3001, but in no event shall not exceed two hundred (200) students. If the total number of students applying for enrollment exceeds the capacity of the public lab school, then the school shall hold a blind lottery to determine enrollment, except students enrolled in the school the previous year shall be granted a seat, and students with a sibling enrolled in the school shall be given an enrollment preference.
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17
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504.
Funding for the K
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8 public lab school.
The public lab school established pursuant to W.S. 21
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17
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501 shall be funded through the education resource block grant model as defined by W.S. 21
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13
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101(a)(xiv) as a kindergarten through grade eight (8) public school within the resident school district. Payment shall be made to the public lab school by the resident school district as provided under W.S. 21
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3
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314(c), unless the resident district and the governing board of the public lab school mutually agree in writing to fund the public lab school in an alternative manner.
Section 2.
(a)
The public lab school established pursuant to W.S. 21
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17
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501 shall accept students and commence operations, not later than school year 2025
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2026.
(b)
The governing board shall begin negotiations upon the effective date of this section to reach any agreements necessary with the resident school district and the University of Wyoming to begin operation of the public lab school established pursuant to W.S. 21
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17
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501.
(c)
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the public lab school established pursuant to W.S. 21-17-501, as created by section 1 of this act, shall not be considered a new school by the department of education for purposes of generating resources under W.S. 21-17-504, as created by section 1 of this act, or for the purposes of the foundation program as defined by W.S. 21-13-101(a)(v). To generate the necessary resources to fund the public lab school for school year 2025-2026, the department of education shall utilize the data and information from the University of Wyoming Lab School from school year 2024-2025 to determine the necessary resources under W.S. 21
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13
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101(a)(v).
Section 3.
This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.
(END)
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SF0126