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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Senator Biteman brought an amendment that would provide for an "opt-in" for all services received. This amendment is highly problematic and it is also administratively impossible to implement.

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 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.

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 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 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.

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.

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.

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 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.