merging the reserve and expenditure accounts; increasing the available balance in the expenditure account; modifying investment of funds; increasing scholarship awards as specified; making conforming amendments; transferring funds; and providing for an effective date.

This bill proposes to increase districts operating balances and cash reserves from 15 to 30% for FY 2022 to FY 2026. This measure is taken to allow districts to spend revenue on COVID relief programs and measures within their districts including educator salaries and bonuses. Districts are reimbursed so increased reserves and operating balances allow them to spend while maintaining their previous reserves and not cutting into dollars allocated through the block grant.

This proposed legislation would allow for the creation of the Wyoming Tomorrow's Scholarship Program. All earnings from the Wyoming's tomorrow scholarship endowment fund would be allowed to be invested and the returns on those investments would be allocated to the appropriate entities for scholarship purposes.

Proposed Amendment removes ECA and guts remaining $9.3 Million ECA

ECA

This bill creates a new endowment fund, the Wyoming Community College Investment Fund (Endowment Fund) and transfers $1,000 from the General Fund to the Endowment Fund. The investment earnings from the Endowment Fund are deposited within the Wyoming Community College Income Account (Income Account), created by this bill. WEA advocates for funding for our Community Colleges across the state.

A matter of transparency, this bill will codify the education resource block grant. WEA can support this bill as long as it is not a mechanism to make changes to the block grant model.

This bill adds an additional month to the payment schedule of ad valorem taxes on mineral production. This may decrease the SFP by $9 million in FY 2022 and increase every yr (2023 $800k, $100k in 2024) and a decrease of $400k in 2025. WEA cannot support bills that decrease education funding.

This bill would permanently shift the additional one percent constitutional severance tax from the PWMTF and CSPLF (funding education in perpetuity) to the Highway fund and Community College Commission. Those dollars are to be provided to students to fund education in perpetuity, not to fund other agencies or programs. This is an attempt to shuffle funds away from education to other programs/accounts without violating the ARP acts MOE and without providing any solutions to longer term issues.

This proposed legislation is contradictory to the WEA's Legislative Platform position of "Safe and Bias-Free Environment." WEA advocates for student LGBTQ rights and equity in practice. This bill violates those principles.

This proposed legislation is contradictory to the WEA's Legislative Platform position of "Safe and Bias-Free Environment." WEA advocates for student LGBTQ rights and equity in practice. This bill violates those principles.

This proposed legislation is legislative overreach. The bill will overburden classroom educators with additional lesson filings in the name of transparency. Transparency is not an issue in our districts. Secondly, it proposes to by-pass the social studies standards setting and review process by legislating standards. This is not the role of the legislature but of WDE, SBE and classroom educators.

This proposed legislation is legislative overreach. The bill will overburden classroom educators with additional lesson filings in the name of transparency. Transparency is not an issue in our districts. Secondly, it proposes to by-pass the social studies standards setting and review process by legislating standards. This is not the role of the legislature but of WDE, SBE and classroom educators.

This bill proposes to establish a Wyoming seal of biliteracy and an advanced distinction Wyoming seal of biliteracy for conferral by a school district to a graduating high school student who is proficient in English and one or more world languages.

Has a very unlikely, but possible negative impact to the School Foundation Program

the bill is prohibitively proscriptive and has substantial constitutional issues including void for vagueness as well as the intent behind Art. 7 Section 11 banning the legislature from dictating what texts to use.

This amendment makes the bill substantially worse than on introduction. It is prescriptive, unnecessary and attempts to bypass the state standards setting process that has worked for years.

this would substantially limit districts from being able to expend any federal funds (ESSER or ARP) without prior legislative consent.

This bill would change the law so that educators would not be allowed to run for, or hold state office. WEA believes that it is invaluable to have educator input in the legislative process though representation and this bill would remove that ability for representation. The bill is anti-democratic in nature and in it's effect.

the bill is prohibitively proscriptive and has substantial constitutional issues including void for vagueness as well as the intent behind Art. 7 Section 11 banning the legislature from dictating what texts to use.

this would substantially limit districts from being able to expend any federal funds (ESSER or ARP) without prior legislative consent.