Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Districts in Wyoming don't have enough state funding, but the state legislature doesn't want to hear about it

Bold move in Wyoming:
CHEYENNE — An amendment to the Senate’s budget bill would prevent school districts from using state-appropriated funds to sue Wyoming...The amendment is notable because of a series of landmark court cases that reshaped Wyoming’s educational landscape. Beginning in the mid-1990s, the Campbell County decisions, as they’re known, dictated that education here be adequate and equitable, meaning a student in Teton County, for example, must receive the same education as a student in Goshen County.
 It’s also notable because of Wyoming’s education funding crisis. Lawmakers are considering bills to cut education in order to deal with a projected $400 million annual shortfall, a hole brought on by a two-year downturn in the energy industry. As legislators learn the history of education funding here and begin to undertake the task of roping in spending, there’s concern about looming lawsuits.

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