Green River Star -
July 15, 2021
For the first time in decades, Campbell County will not send excess revenue to the state’s School Foundation Program, the primary statewide school fund.
The county’s shift from a “recapture” to an “entitlement” district reveals changing economic dynamics among state communities. It also underscores the risk inherent in Wyoming’s reliance on mineral extraction to provide equitable and adequate funding for each district, no matter its local economic health.
“I think it says a lot about the state of Wyoming,” Wyoming Education Association’s Government Relations Director Tate Mullen said. Some historically mineral-rich counties are generating less revenue for a statewide school funding model that depends on coal, oil and natural gas extraction to serve students across the state.
By Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily
While teachers across the country might be underpaid when compared to other professions, a report from the Economic Policy Institute showed that Wyoming’s teachers are the least underpaid.
A statistic from the EPI’s September 2020 report that shows public school teachers make about 20% less than college graduates who are not teachers has been making the rounds on social media lately.
However, the report also showed that Wyoming’s teachers are paid better than most, with their salaries falling below those of non-teachers by about 2%, a fact that was noted by many social media users.
It seems like only yesterday that state lawmakers were at the Capitol in Cheyenne, working their magic the way only they can do.
But they left last Wednesday, and when I look back on it all, what strikes me the most is the enormous amount of inaction â particularly on the most crucial issues facing the state. In many vital areas, Wyoming is in the same dire position it was before the much-anticipated session.
This year, I watched the action from the comfort and clutter of the Drakeâs Take Home Office. I love the newly restored Capitol building where I once worked in the media room, but since COVID-19 hit, I havenât spent much time in my old stomping grounds.
CHEYENNE A bill aimed to take a jab at the $300 million education funding shortfall died in the Wyoming Legislature Wednesday after the Senate and House couldn’t come to an agreement.
At the start of the legislative session, education funding was a the forefront of concerns with several bills targeting K-12 funds. However, most of those bills failed to advance and attention was placed on two bills in particular: House Bill 173 and Senate File 143.
While both bills were designed to make major cuts in education funding, the House bill preserved the funding model as a block grant and included a conditional sales tax to help with revenue, whereas the Senate file did neither. The House did not consider the Senate file for introduction after it passed through the Senate.
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