HB0316 creates a temporary select committee on school finance recalibration to review Wyoming’s education resource block grant model and determine whether changes are needed to keep it cost-based under changing conditions, including possible court-related adjustments. The committee is directed to study virtual education funding models in other states and recommend a funding formula for Wyoming virtual schools that is equitable and predictable. It may hire consultants, must report recommendations and any proposed legislation to the legislature, and remains in existence through February 9, 2026.
The bill also makes several appropriations tied to school finance. It provides $920,000 from the general fund to the Legislative Service Office to support the recalibration study and committee expenses. It appropriates $52.3 million for an external cost adjustment to the education resource block grant model for school year 2025-2026, with specified percentage adjustments for professional labor, nonprofessional labor, educational materials, and energy. In addition, it appropriates $69.2 million for school district entitlement payments and special education reimbursements, and another $84.4 million for school district entitlement payments if certain other school finance bills are enacted. Several of these appropriations are structured to be offset or reduced if related legislation passes, and the legislature expresses intent to double some of the funding in the next biennium.
Impact
HB0316 affects Wyoming school finance law by creating a new interim-style legislative committee and directing a formal recalibration study of the education resource block grant model under W.S. 21-13-309(t). It also authorizes the use of outside consultants and requires state agencies, school districts, and the school data advisory committee to provide information. The bill makes targeted appropriations from the public school foundation program account and general fund for model recalibration, external cost adjustments, entitlement payments, and special education reimbursements, thereby influencing how state education dollars are distributed for the 2025-2026 school year and potentially the next biennium.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad overall support, especially for its school finance study and funding provisions, as reflected by strong committee and floor votes in both chambers. The House passed the bill unanimously, and the Senate ultimately concurred overwhelmingly after amendments. The only notable resistance came during the Senate amendment process, where one amendment failed and another passed with a narrower margin, suggesting some disagreement over the details of the school finance package rather than the concept of recalibration itself.
Contention
The main points of contention appear to have been the size, structure, and timing of the appropriations and the policy details embedded in the bill. The Senate votes show some division over amendments, including one failed amendment and one adopted by a narrower margin, indicating debate over how the external cost adjustment and entitlement payments should be handled. The bill also conditions some funding on the enactment of other school finance bills, which suggests lawmakers were coordinating HB0316 with broader education funding legislation and may have disagreed about how much should be locked into this bill versus left to other measures.
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