All Roll Calls
Yes: 300 • No: 232
WyomingSF 812026 Budget SessionSenateWALLET
AN ACT relating to K-12 public school finance; implementing the 2025 cost of education study as modified by the legislature; modifying the education resource block grant model; modifying cash reserves; restricting expenditure of funds distributed through the school foundation program account; creating a new grant program for the post secondary education enrollment options program; making conforming amendments; requiring rulemaking; repealing provisions; providing an appropriation; and providing for effective dates.
Sponsored By: null Recalibration
Became Law
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
15 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 3 costs, 7 mixed.
Required Pay Schedules For Wyoming Teachers
For school years 2026–2027 through 2028–2029, districts must set teacher salary schedules with pay tables, experience steps, and education levels. The salary standard uses the greater of the district’s model-calculated average teacher salary or up to 110% of its prior-year average. This does not guarantee every teacher a 10% raise. Individual pay changes depend on district salary figures and schedules.
More State Money For Wyoming Schools
Beginning July 1, 2026, Wyoming provides $275.065955 million for district payments under the new school funding law. This adds to other school foundation funding and comes from the public school foundation program account. Of that total, $20.565955 million is excluded from the education department’s standard budget for the next two-year budget period. The money goes to districts, not directly to families.
More College Courses With Capped Funding
Beginning July 1, 2026, districts, the University of Wyoming, and community colleges cannot limit the number of covered dual enrollment courses. The state reimburses district spending for student enrollment and completion under agreements with those colleges. Total district reimbursements are capped at $10 million per school year. If funding is insufficient, approved claims are reduced proportionally based on each district’s share of completed credit hours. The law does not guarantee free courses or direct payments to students.
New Funding Formulas For Public Schools
Beginning July 1, 2026, Wyoming funds core teachers at one full-time position per 16 students in grades K–3, 22 in grades 4–8, and 25 in grades 9–12. The model provides $300 per student for instructional and library materials and $250 for technology and equipment. Three elementary funding models increase their student counts from 96, 192, and 288 to 110, 220, and 330. When a district’s prior two-year average enrollment exceeds last year’s enrollment, each school uses its two-year average instead of three years. Otherwise, each school uses last year’s count; these are funding measures, not guaranteed class sizes.
Faster Funding For Special Education Placements
Beginning July 1, 2026, Wyoming reimburses districts for out-of-district special education placements in the year costs occur. Payments are made quarterly under education department rules. These costs are handled separately from reimbursement for other special education services from the prior school year. The change supports district cash flow; it does not change student eligibility.
More Funding For School Career Programs
Beginning July 1, 2026, schools receive $14,336 per full-time-equivalent career and technical education teacher. Schools with fewer than two such teachers receive at least $28,672. The money is limited to program supplies, materials, equipment, and equipment repairs. Legislative cost adjustments for educational materials also apply to these amounts.
Schools Can Keep Larger Cash Reserves
Wyoming generally counts district operating balances as excess above 20% of the foundation amount, up from 15%. For fiscal years ending June 30, 2022 through June 30, 2028, the threshold is 30%. Legally committed or program-restricted funds and major repair and replacement reserves are excluded. Qualifying protested-tax settlement money is excluded for up to one year after receipt. The district must verify that settlement money in writing, and the county treasurer must certify it.
Limits On School Funding And Inflation
Beginning July 1, 2026, Wyoming counts half of districts’ realized investment earnings as revenue when calculating state foundation distributions. That can reduce the state funding a district receives. Between funding-model recalibrations, legislative inflation adjustments exclude technology and equipment, gifted programs, and short-cycle and formative assessments. Those components do not receive the inflation increases covered by this rule.
Schools Face Building Spending And Space Limits
Beginning July 1, 2026, districts cannot transfer or spend covered foundation money on major building repairs, replacements, or covered building projects. The ban includes school, office, portable, staff-housing, and warehouse buildings, and follows foundation money moved into special reserves. Maintenance and operations funding uses the lesser of actual qualifying school space and space allowed by statewide standards. Space capacity above 115% of the standard is excluded. Qualifying leased space counts, but closed facilities and space outside the required education program do not.
Tighter Rules For Counting Separate Schools
Beginning July 1, 2026, schools sharing a building count as one school for funding, even with separate administrations. Their student counts are combined, and separate or duplicate resource allocations are barred unless another law allows them. Alternative schools need state superintendent approval to count in a district’s school configuration for funding. That approval must meet the alternative-school conditions set by state law.
New Regional Rules For School Pay
Beginning July 1, 2027, the state updates its regional wage index yearly until the school funding model is recalibrated. The lowest annual index sets the baseline for state average salaries used in funding. Each district’s salary calculation then uses its adjusted index, with a minimum of 100. An extra adjustment applies when its adjusted cost-of-living index exceeds its wage index by more than 33 percentage points. These rules change district funding calculations, not a stated individual raise.
Retirement Help And Health Funding Limits
Wyoming reimburses districts for retirement costs at the percentage paid for state employee members. Payments cover only salary shares paid from the school funding sources named in the law, monthly or on the foundation payment schedule. Health insurance funding uses actual monthly participation by model-funded staff, eligible state-plan participation, and the applicable state contribution rate. Funding is proportional when staff positions have multiple funding sources. Beginning July 1, 2027, prior-year health spending below the calculated amount reduces model funding by the difference; no direct premium or benefit change is stated.
School Bus Funding With Purchase Requirements
Wyoming reimburses qualifying student transportation vehicle purchases, not leases, based on department-set prices and added to model funding. Vehicles must meet state standards and fleet limits; payment is due within three months after the month the district pays. Districts must use competitive purchasing and document cost-effectiveness. Before buying a bus, districts must make a good-faith effort to buy one covered by a diesel-emissions reduction program. For 2026–2027 only, districts also receive remaining balances on qualifying vehicles bought before July 1, 2026; that payment provision ends July 1, 2027.
Schools Can Save Restricted Instruction Money
Beginning July 1, 2026, districts must use money for the covered model-funded staff positions only for instruction. They cannot transfer it elsewhere; technology, equipment, and instructional materials do not count as instruction under this rule. Districts can save unspent, uncommitted instructional money in a reserve account that keeps its earnings and does not expire. The balance does not count toward operating reserves, and spending is limited to instruction, declining enrollment, or recruiting and keeping instructional staff. Districts must report the balance and a general account of spending each year.
Schools Get Payment Dates And Repayable Advances
Districts receive 10% of annual foundation funding by July 15, then 9% monthly through April, with the balance by May 15. Statutory adjustments apply, but after June 30 the superintendent generally cannot change entitlements or underlying financial information, except where state law allows. For districts owing recapture money, the state sends estimates by September 1 and certifies final amounts by May 31. Districts owing recapture, or receiving state entitlements no greater than 20% of their foundation amount, can request advances after showing cash-flow need. Advances start on or after July 1, cannot exceed 20% of the foundation amount, and must be repaid by June 15.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
null Recalibration
Affiliation unavailable
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 3/5/2026
S Concur:Passed 31-0-0-0-0
Yes: 31 • No: 0
House vote • 3/4/2026
Amendment failed 26-32-4-0-0
Yes: 26 • No: 32
House vote • 3/4/2026
Amendment failed 25-32-4-1-0
Yes: 25 • No: 32
House vote • 3/4/2026
H 3rd Reading:Passed 52-7-3-0-0
Yes: 52 • No: 7
House vote • 3/4/2026
Amendment failed 13-46-3-0-0
Yes: 13 • No: 46
House vote • 3/2/2026
H02 - Appropriations:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 7-0-0-0-0
Yes: 7 • No: 0
House vote • 2/27/2026
H04 - Education:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 6-2-1-0-0
Yes: 6 • No: 2
Senate vote • 2/23/2026
Amendment failed 13-18-0-0-0
Yes: 13 • No: 18
Senate vote • 2/23/2026
Amendment failed 8-22-1-0-0
Yes: 8 • No: 22
Senate vote • 2/23/2026
Amendment failed 5-25-1-0-0
Yes: 5 • No: 25
Senate vote • 2/23/2026
Amendment failed 9-21-1-0-0
Yes: 9 • No: 21
Senate vote • 2/23/2026
Amendment adopted 29-1-1-0-0
Yes: 29 • No: 1
Senate vote • 2/23/2026
Amendment failed 6-25-0-0-0
Yes: 6 • No: 25
Senate vote • 2/23/2026
S 3rd Reading:Passed 30-1-0-0-0
Yes: 30 • No: 1
Senate vote • 2/17/2026
S02 - Appropriations:Recommend Do Pass 4-0-1-0-0
Yes: 4 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/17/2026
S04 - Education:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0
Yes: 5 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/13/2026
S Introduced and Referred to S04 - Education 31-0-0-0-0
Yes: 31 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Assigned Chapter Number 82
3/9/2026Became Law without Signature
3/9/2026H Speaker Signed SEA No. 0056
3/5/2026HouseS President Signed SEA No. 0056
3/5/2026SenateS Concur:Passed 31-0-0-0-0
3/5/2026SenateS Received for Concurrence
3/5/2026SenateH 3rd Reading:Passed 52-7-3-0-0
3/4/2026HouseH 2nd Reading:Passed
3/3/2026HouseH COW:Passed
3/2/2026HouseH Placed on General File
3/2/2026HouseH02 - Appropriations:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 7-0-0-0-0
3/2/2026HouseH04 - Education:Rerefer to H02 - Appropriations
2/27/2026HouseH04 - Education:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 6-2-1-0-0
2/27/2026HouseH Introduced and Referred to H04 - Education
2/24/2026HouseH Received for Introduction
2/24/2026HouseS 3rd Reading:Passed 30-1-0-0-0
2/23/2026SenateS 2nd Reading:Passed
2/20/2026SenateS COW:Passed
2/19/2026SenateS Placed on General File
2/17/2026SenateS02 - Appropriations:Recommend Do Pass 4-0-1-0-0
2/17/2026Senate:Rerefer to S02 - Appropriations
2/17/2026SenateS04 - Education:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0
2/17/2026SenateS Introduced and Referred to S04 - Education 31-0-0-0-0
2/13/2026SenateS Received for Introduction
2/9/2026SenateBill Number Assigned
2/6/2026
Bill Text
Engrossed
Enrolled
Introduced
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