The budget bill contains a number of important legislative items, including the external cost adjustment. WEA will monitor the bill and score the appropriate budget amendments as they are proposed and voted on.

The Wyoming Education Association cannot support any bill that would draw money away from the School Foundation Program, nor tax exemptions. This bill would reduce SFP dollars in 2025 by $6.6 million and $6.8 in 2026. Loses in education funding have direct negative measurable impacts on employment, personal income, state GDP and state population. These considerations are heightened given the states failure to provide adequate funding for K12 utilizing a cost-based model.

This approach to property tax relief expands an already existing program. This approach provides relief while at the same time, not reducing dollars to the School Foundation Program. This bill would add additional tiers to the existing program based on the higher of the state median gross income or the median gross income of the county.

As the bill pertains to state lands and provides no measurable negative or positive fiscal impact on state lands, WEA is simply monitoring this bill.

As the bill pertains to state lands and provides no measurable negative or positive fiscal impact on state lands, WEA is simply monitoring this bill.

The Wyoming Education Association cannot support any bill that would draw money away from the School Foundation Program. This bill would reduce SFP dollars in 2025 by $2.94 million and $6.9 in 2026. Loses in education funding have direct negative measurable impacts on employment, personal income, state GDP and state population. These considerations are heightened given the states failure to provide adequate funding for K12 utilizing a cost-based model.

This voucher bill is unconstitutional, violating numerous provisions of our state constitution prohibiting tax payer dollars going to private or parochial institutions. The bill, like most voucher bills, lacks transparency, accountability, and standards for education service providers. These services produce fraud and waste without positively impacting student performance all while drawing much needed dollars away from K12.

While the bill's intent is to provide data for an up-to-date assessment of the regional cost adjustment in the states next recalibration effort, the data that is being asked for in this bill would be invaluable. This data would help to fill a massive hole in our states education data tracking including unfilled vacancies. This data would help provide evidence-based policy solutions for teacher attraction and recruitment as well as salaries.

The Wyoming Education Association is currently monitoring this bill. The language "available and adequate" raises some questions and concerns of what may constitute a legal taking. For now, WEA will continue to monitor this bill.

WEA is monitoring this bill and takes no position on it.

The bill will set a 5% cap on assessed value property tax increases. While the October CREG projection is that future years statewide assessed value growth will be at the 5% level or less, these are averages. There will be properties that will come in at an assessed value higher than 5%. This amount is indeterminable, but there will be some negative impact to local education funds. Due to the indeterminable amount, this bill is scored appropriately given WEA's positions on exemptions

The bill provides targeted relief for specific property owners depending on age and contingent on property being the primary residence. There are dollars provided from the General Fund to reimburse local governments for losses in revenue. However the bill will decrease local revenues for education and increase the necessity for an entitlement increase. This means that more state dollars will be necessary to fulfill a fully cost-based approach to education funding.

The bill establishes a statewide holiday dedicated to the importance of childhood literacy.

This bill would repeal the BRA and SIPA accounts and transfers funds to the general fund and the LSRA, this includes 45% of the SIPA spending policy that would reduce dollars into the SFP in fy 2027 by over $50 million.

As an alternative proposal to HB55, which WEA does not support, this bill keeps the SFP intact and does not have any negative fiscal consequences for education. As HB55 would have a -$55 million impact to the SFP, this alternative restores that $55 million loss and is accordingly attributed a +3 score.

After defeating a number of these bills over the last few years, the bill attempts to resurrect the fear around vaccinations. Vaccinations are vital to keeping our schools healthy and safe learning environments. Families are free to make their decisions regarding vaccinations, and exemptions currently exist, but to ensure our schools remain safe places of learning districts must be allowed to implement health and safety standards, including vaccinations.

This political bill targets specific components of education including diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as political or social activism. The intent of the bill seems to be to stifle programs, classes or opportunities for students that provide a variety of cultural and or political perspectives by requiring burdensome reporting and data collecting duties. These components are vital to a modern education system and should not be targeted by our legislature.

This bill is yet another attack on the professionalism of our educators and librarians in our public schools. Substantial repercussions include a chilling effect on sex education being taught in our schools. States and districts with no or minimal sex education see higher rates of teen pregnancy as well as STD's. These efforts will also have a negative impact on educator recruitment and retention. The bill also targets our LGBTQ+ student population.

This bill makes changes to definitions of major maintenance, capital renewal, code compliance, site improvements and renovation. The bill also changes funding for major maintenance if routine maintenance was found to be in neglect by a review of routine maintenance records. We are simply monitoring this bill.

WEA is currently trying to ascertain how HB78 would affect the statewide databases provided by our GoWYLD consortia used by many of our educators and school librarians. Until we have that information WEA will continue to monitor the bill.

This simple bill removes an additional annual distribution of the county school fund. WEA is simply monitoring this bill. This is a language clean up bill

This bill would provide for the Wyoming Retirement System (WRS) to adjust contribution rates to the Public Employee Pension Plan (PE Plan) based on an actuarially determined contribution rate. The bill would limit rate adjustments to no more than a 0.5 percent increase or decrease every two years, starting July 1, 2026. The proposal would help sustain the WRS and help fend off efforts to move to a 401k.

WEA believes this bill, as currently written, will not impact our educators or education system. We will continue to monitor the bill and collect new information in order to provide the appropriate score for this bill. As of now WEA is simply monitoring the bill.

The bill seems to be a redundant effort to codify parental rights that are already codified in statute. WEA is currently monitoring the bill and will update scores with any new changes to the bill or any new information.

The WEA does not support public education employees carrying firearms and/or other weapons due to the demonstrated threat to school safety should staff become overpowered, should weapons be accessed by students, or should weapons in schools accidentally discharge. Weapons in schools have a chilling effect on academic freedom and free discourse, thus threatening free expression. Other problematic issues include insurance liability, and improper training, and impacts on retention and attraction

This bill is yet another example of proposed property tax relief that would short local education dollars. The total impact on a year over basis is over $16 million annually. WEA scores fiscal bills with a +/- rubric of $5 million, $10 million and $20 million. This puts this proposal at a -2. Property taxes fund education at the local level.

This bill provides an inflation adjustment for the Hathaway for our Wyoming students to make college, at the University of Wyoming, more affordable and accessible.

This bill is an example of evidence-based policy solutions that address recruitment and retention. while there is no silver bullet to this issue, this bill is a step in the right direction showing vision and support for our educators and students in the education program.

WEA is simply monitoring this bill

while short term, the bill is a positive step in the right direction to address student mental health as well as staffing in our schools to address this issue. The proposed bill allocates $37 million for a grant program through the department of education to address student mental health services. This includes hiring of school psychologists, counselors, nurses and other positions that help provide services to students in need. The bill has a sunset date of June 2026.

WEA is monitoring the bill as the Kelly Parcel will provide revenue for education. However, proper mechanisms must be utilized to ensure the constitutionality of efforts to monetize that land.

This bill attempts to repeal the gun free zones such as schools. While the data around whether or not gun-free zones increase safety in schools is inconclusive and/or mixed, Claims that 90% of mass shootings happen in gun free zones are false and miss important methodological information.

Yet another property tax relief measure that utilizes a property tax exemption to the assessed value of residential and commercial properties. This measure would decrease local education revenue by close to $50 million a year.

This voucher bill attempts to circumvent to Wyoming Constitution prohibition on public dollars provided to private and parochial schools by redirecting Federal Mineral Royalty monies from public schools to the private and parochial schools. This has significant issues for education funding, teacher attraction and retention. The bill is one of the most predatory bills directed at undermining K12 public education

This bill is a continuation of the attacks on educators professionalism and expertise. The bill also feeds false narratives that CRT is being taught in our schools in Wyoming. This is a patently false inflammatory accusation and undermines the professionalism of our hard-working educators.

This bill is yet another example of proposed property tax relief that would negatively impact local education funding. At its height, this bill would reduce money for education in the state by over $80 million. Wyoming has one of the lowest property tax rates in the nation with no other means to backfill the revenue lost with such proposals. Property taxes fund education and other services such as health care, roads, police and fire.

This bill has no fiscal impact on school revenue, but is another property tax bill that WEA is monitoring. The bill would create a deferral program for property taxes and appropriates general fund dollars to fund the program.

This voucher bill is unconstitutional, violating numerous provisions of our state constitution prohibiting tax payer dollars going to private or parochial institutions. The bill, like most voucher bills, lacks transparency, accountability, and standards for education service providers. These services produce fraud and waste without positively impacting student performance all while drawing much needed dollars away from K12.

WEA is monitoring this bill as it applies to school trust lands and the processes of exchange proposals.

This bill is a smart approach to ensuring that our students are safe and healthy in their schools. As educators must go through a criminal background check, so too should volunteers who "may have regular contact with or unsupervised access to minors." This bill mandates that volunteers also go through a background check.

This is Florida's Dont Say Gay bill. This bill directly targets our LGTBQ student population. This student population is already at higher risk for depression, anxiety and suicide attempts. When an individuals identity is targeted as it is in this bill, what social sciences tell us is that it increase the likelihood of these negative mental health events. The bill addresses no real problem in the state and is a tool to stoke fear and anger ahead of an election.

This bill repeals the statewide summative assessment and accountability systems administered by the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) and State Board of Education, as a requirement of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, which is the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This results in a loss of over $100 million in federal funds including SPED, CTE, Title 1 and more.

while this bill would reduce local revenue for education significantly, it does provide a backfill by implementing a statewide 2% sales and use tax that would flow back to locals to make up all of the revenue that was lost. However, WEA's legislative platform states that WEA does not support any property tax exemption. For that reason WEA rates this bill accordingly.

WEA cannot support any tax relief policy that is not targeted, means tested, and has little to no impact on education funding. This proposal meets none of those standards.

WEA is simply monitoring the bill

WEA is simply monitoring this bill

This bill attempts amend Wyoming Constitution Art. 15 Sect. 11(a)(intro), (ii), (iii), and creating new sections. The proposed language will expand the definition and classes of taxable property as well as provide legislative authority to establish a maximum permissible increase in annual residential real property values. We are currently monitoring this proposal.

The budget bill contains a number of important legislative items, including the external cost adjustment. WEA will monitor the bill and score the appropriate budget amendments as they are proposed and voted on.

The budget bill contains a number of important legislative items, including the external cost adjustment. WEA will monitor the bill and score the appropriate budget amendments as they are proposed and voted on.

WEA believes parents should have a role in their child's education as well as their mental health and well-being. However, this bill attempts to circumvent local control over a policy area that districts handle on their own. This proscriptive measure raises issues regarding the health and well-being of students who may be experiencing abuse or neglect in the home, as well as our LGBTQ student population.

This bill increases the amount of dollars paid to preschool service providers for students birth through 5 years of age with developmental disabilities who are eligible for and placed on an individualized education program or individualized family service plan. This is an increased investment for students who benefit from increased investment.

Research on school age entry shows older students (7) who enter school compared to younger students (6) initially score better in math and reading that first year. However, those gains are erased and in fact older students grow and learn at a slower rate in later grades. Given the legislatures focus on K3 reading, reducing the school age entry may have positive effects on long-term student performance.

WEA's rubric for school finance bills provide 3 different levels established by specific dollar amounts. Those amounts are $5 million, $10 million, and $20 million on a per annum basis. WEA does not support any property tax exemptions for property tax that fund our schools. On a per annual basis, this bill would decrease education funding in the state of Wyoming by roughly $15 million dollars.

This bill authorizes charter schools as local education agencies to receive and apply for federal and state grants. The bill also modifies payments by school districts to charter schools. WEA is monitoring this bill.

The bill will set a 5% cap on assessed value property tax increases. While the October CREG projection is that future years statewide assessed value growth will be at the 5% level or less, these are averages. There will be properties that will come in at an assessed value higher than 5%. This amount is indeterminable, but there will be some negative impact to local education funds. Due to the indeterminable amount, this bill is scored appropriately given WEA's positions on exemptions

This bill establishes severance tax refunds for specified oil, natural gas and coal severance taxes based on increased federal mineral royalty (FMR) rates. While minimal, this bill has an overall negative fiscal impact on the SFP.

This bill will increase employee/employer contributions to the big plan by .5% each. This is a step in the right direction to make the fund actuarily sound.

This bill creates a property tax exemption for all tangible personal property (furniture fixtures and equipment), including personal property for residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural use. The fiscal impact to the SFP would be a loss of over $50 million a year and would have significant negative impacts on education funding. The WEA believes that no class of property currently on the tax rolls should be exempt from any form of taxes that benefit public schools.

The intent behind the bill is altruistic. It is a means to address our educator and student happiness by providing flexibility in school calendar year scheduling. However, WEA has concerns regarding completing the same amount of work in less time as well as implications for district negotiations that may reduce pay.

WEA is simply monitoring this bill.

while legislation was passed in 2017 that would permit district to adopt policies for educators to carry in schools, this bill simply provides an allocation of funds to help provide the training to those educators who wish to do so. WEA opposes the measure as funds could be used better elsewhere. WEA does support funding necessary and ongoing training that will bolsters safety, however not while we are currently underfunding operations and facilities.

This bill would prohibit registered sex offenders from volunteering and accepting employment for positions that there is significant contact with minors. This includes our schools. This bill ensures student health and safety in our schools.

This bill is yet another example of legislation targeting the states LGBTQ population. This bill would create significant difficulties for districts and educators if an educator who identifies with different pronouns continued to be attacked by fellow staff or administration regarding their pronouns. This would not allow remedy and create hostile work environments to LGBTQ staff.

Continuing contract is a provision that ensures due process for our experienced educators. Continuing contract prevents a school district from dismissing an educator with continuing contract without good reason and due process. Those opposed often refer to this as "tenure" and falsely claim that it keeps bad educators employed. Data and evidence do not bear this out and is a patently false claim.

This voucher bill attempts to circumvent to Wyoming Constitution prohibition on public dollars provided to private and parochial schools by redirecting Federal Mineral Royalty monies from public schools to the private and parochial schools. This has significant issues for education funding, teacher attraction and retention. The bill is one of the most predatory bills directed at undermining K12 public education

This bill establishes a mandatory retention policy for students who are below proficient in the statewide summative assessment. The bill ignores best practices and would facilitate higher dropout rates, decreased student performance, and an increase in mental health issues among retained students.

This bill decreases local education revenue across the state by over $30 million a year. This property tax relief measure is neither targeted nor appropriate. Given WEA's fiscal rubric WEA scores this bill accordingly.

while this bill would reduce local revenue for education significantly, it does provide a backfill from the LSRA that would flow back to locals to make up all of the revenue that was lost. However, WEA's legislative platform states that WEA does not support any property tax exemption. For that reason WEA rates this bill accordingly.

bills such as this are currently being challenged as an unconstitutional infringement on first amendment rights guaranteed in the US Constitution. This bill specifically targets WEA and its members.

This bill would cut education funding at the local level by over $40 million a year. This policy is neither targeted nor appropriate. the impact on education funding would be devastating and plunge us back into a structural deficit for education funding.

When the state passed legislation to authorize three additional charter schools they capped the number of charter schools that could be authorized until the legislature could fully understand the impact of charter schools on student performance as well as our existing K12 system. We don't have enough data to understand how charter schools impact our system. This bill is irresponsible and will increase the cost of education in the state.

this bill would mandate that "No governmental entity shall engage in any diversity, equity or inclusion program, activity or policy." This includes schools. This hateful bill will impact curriculum, district operations and further target LGBTQ students as well as minority students.

This bill violates the constitutional requirement of equitable and adequate education. Inequities exist among districts across the state in their ability to generate local revenue. School facilities are a component of our education system and inequalities there would facilitate inequalities in learning.