K-12 funding amendments.

26LSO-0503
2026
STATE OF WYOMING
26LSO-0503
Numbered
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0167

K-12 funding amendments.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Jarvis, Campbell, E, Clouston and Connolly

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to K-12 public school finance; modifying payment for special education out of district placements; increasing base teacher salaries utilized in the education resource block grant model; providing appropriations; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 21
‑
13
‑
321(b) is amended to read:

21
‑
13
‑
321.

Special education; amount provided for special education programs and services; reimbursement for out
‑
of
‑
district placements; district reporting requirements; billing for Medicaid authorized school based services.

(b)

Except for expenditures for out
‑
of
‑
district special education placements, including placement for behavioral supports, t
he amount provided to a school district for special education shall be equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the amount actually expended by the district during the previous school year for special education programs and services, which shall include the amount actually expended by the district during the previous school year for reasonable administrative costs to bill for authorized Medicaid services under subsection (h) of this section. Amounts
awarded
provided
under this section shall be in addition to and shall not be considered in determining the school foundation program amount under the education resource block grant model pursuant to W.S. 21
‑
13
‑
309.
Except for expenditures for out
‑
of
‑
district special education placements, t
he department of education shall distribute the amount computed under this section to each school district in the same proportion and schedule of distributions under W.S. 21
‑
13
‑
313(c).
Expenditures by a district for out
‑
of
‑
district special education placements shall be reimbursed in the year in which the costs are incurred and shall be distributed to each school district on a quarterly basis in accordance with rules adopted by the department of education.

Section 2
.

(a)

Beginning school year 2026
‑
2027, the base salary

for teachers, as utilized in the education resource block grant model, as defined by W.S. 21
‑
13
‑
101(a)(xiv), shall be equal to sixty
‑
five thousand dollars ($65,000.00), as administrated by the state superintendent pursuant to W.S. 21
‑
2
‑
202(e).

(b)

There is appropriated from the public school foundation program account to the department of education
‑
school finance three hundred forty
‑
eight million six hundred thousand dollars ($348,600,000.00) for purposes of making payments to school districts in accordance with W.S. 21
‑
13
‑
313(c). This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending June 30, 2028. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2028. It is the intent of the legislature that this appropriation be included in the department of education
‑
school finance's standard budget for the immediately succeeding fiscal biennium.

(c)

There is appropriated from the public school foundation program account to the department of education
‑
school finance eight million nine hundred thousand dollars ($8,900,000.00) for purposes of reimbursing school districts for retirement costs outside the education resource block grant model. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending June 30, 2028. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2028. It is the intent of the legislature that this appropriation be included in the department of education
‑
school finance's standard budget for the immediately succeeding fiscal biennium.

Section 3.

This act is July 1, 2026.

(END)

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HB0167