There has been a significant amount of discussion on education policy this legislative session. This trend will likely continue as the legislature tries to balance tax relief measures and funding the needs of state government with an ever growing amount of expenditures in our public K-12 system. This year, we continued the longstanding trend of financially supporting our K-12 system.
Most notably, both chambers increased funding to public schools by over $84 million. $35.3 million is for increases in special education costs and an additional $48.8 million is to support increases in costs, called an external cost adjustment. This continues the trend of increasing public education funding over the past 10 years. Statewide, we have increased K-12 spending from $1.49 billion in the 2014-2015 school year to projected spending of $1.69 billion in the current 2024-2025 school year. This trend runs in contrast to a noticeable decline in public school enrollment from 93,303 in the 2014-2015 school year to 89,228 this year.
Of course, there is more to our education system than the amount of money we spend on it. I am concerned about the amount of involvement the state has in what should be local matters. This is especially true in the realm of school finance, where there is no local responsibility for revenue generation. Our students and teachers have been held back for too long by a system which puts the redistribution of wealth before classroom success.
The legislature has proposed solutions that allows for new revenue sources and empowers local leaders to make decisions that are right for their communities. I am disappointed these efforts have been met with resistance from our school board association and teachers’ union. While I understand it is easier to sit back and let other districts sue the taxpayers for ever more funding, I hope our local leaders will begin to offer good faith solutions to this untenable situation in the future.
Thank you for your support and engagement!
As always, feel free to reach out to me at brian.boner@wyoleg.gov
or (307) 359-0707.
Extras
Information On the Piece "The Four Sisters"
Created by the American sculptor and painter, Delissalde, "The Four Sisters", are displayed in the niches of the third floor. These niches were initially intended to have statues displayed in them according to architect David Williams Gibbs plans when he designed the capitol in 1887, to only have them left empty after the construction of the capitol in 1888. This means that the niches had remained empty for 131 years, until the renovations started in 2017 and the unveiling of "The Four Sisters" in 2019. Each statue weighs between 600-700 pounds, stands around nine feet tall, and holds a title that they represent. Named Hope, Truth, Justice, and Courage, they are meant to reflect the values that guide the people of Wyoming.
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