Monday, SEPTEMBER 22, 2025 |
Eight school districts across Wyoming, including Carbon County, have filed a brief with the Wyoming Supreme Court last week. The school districts argued with a lower, district court’s decision, in February, that declared the state’s school funding model unconstitutional.
The State of Wyoming is appealing the lower court’s decision.
The Wyoming Education Association (WEA) filed a lawsuit in August 2022 alleging that the state’s public school funding system violates the Wyoming Constitution by failing to provide a “thorough and uniform education of a quality that is both visionary and unsurpassed”
Several school districts, including, Albany, Campbell, Carbon, Laramie, Lincoln, Sweetwater and Uinta counties argue that underfunding is in violation of decades of Supreme Court precedent. Laramie County District Court Judge Peter Froelicher’s ruling in February sided with the educators, concluding that the Legislature had failed in six critical areas.
Lincoln County School District 1 Superintendent Teresa Chaulk said last week the goal is for Wyoming Supreme Court to solidify the judge’s decision and fund education appropriately.”
The Lincoln County Superintendent said that the goal is to “have adequate facilities for all of our students, so that we have mental health services for all of our students, we have nutrition for all of our students, and we have the best staff in front of our students.”
Part of the WEA’s argument is that Wyoming has failed to adjust the education funding model for inflation, particularly by not applying External Cost Adjustments (ECAs) cumulatively since 2010.
The WEA and school district officials argue that this has depressed the salaries of educators and staff, which are now deemed inadequate to recruit and retain qualified personnel. The base “model salary” for a certified teacher was approximately $37,540 at the time of the trial. The model has remained untouched since 2005, except for ECAs.
Superintendents from the districts provided testimony about their challenges in attracting and retaining teachers and staff, leading to unfilled positions, the hiring of less qualified educators and an increased reliance on alternative certifications.
Christiana Stoddard, who was hired by the state in 2010 to assist with recalibration, reported that Wyoming’s teacher salaries are just 3% below the regional average, and the state’s competitive advantage has been cut in half since 2018.
The schools argue that the quality of education in Wyoming is impacted because students are not always being taught by highly qualified teachers.
At the heart of their argument, schools say that the state is not funding mental health counselors, school resource officers (SROs), nutrition services and one-to-one student technology.
Testimony outlined in the districts’ brief highlighted an increase in student mental health needs. The state’s own consultants had recommended adding these positions, but the recommendations were ignored.
At a bench trial in June 2024, Judge Peter Froelicher heard testimony from experts, educators, and district employees across the state. The judge found the plaintiffs’ testimony, particularly from experienced educators, more convincing than the state’s experts, whom he deemed as biased or using flawed analysis.
On February 26, 2025, Judge Froelicher ruled that the state’s school funding system is unconstitutional, finding the state had failed to meet its constitutional obligations to adequately and equitably fund public education. The court agreed with the plaintiffs on all six grounds of unconstitutionality.
The ruling ordered the state to modify its funding system to remedy the violations and stated the court would maintain jurisdiction until the violations are fully addressed.
The state appealed the decision on March 26, 2025, but Judge Froelicher denied the state’s motion to put the ruling on hold.
The current three-to-one student-to-internet computer device ratio is considered inadequate. Temporary federal COVID-19 relief funds, issued during the Biden Administration, which supported one-to-one access, are no longer available. Senator Bo Biteman, R-Ranchester, has questioned the evidence for improved outcomes with one-to-one computers. Biden expressed concerns about the inefficiency and cost of supplying the computer devices.
The brief also asserts that the state has failed to adequately and evenly assess school facilities for educational suitability, leading to “unequal and inadequate school facilities” across districts
Following the district court’s ruling, Governor Mark Gordon’s office indicated it was reviewing the decision to consider issues on appeal. The state filed its notice of appeal in March, but its request for a stay of the ruling was denied by Judge Froelicher, signaling the immediate need for remedies.
As the state’s mandated “recalibration” process for school funding continues, the arguments presented in this brief will be central to the Wyoming Supreme Court’s review.
Superintendent Chaulk said the lawsuit is the result of a lack of trust.
Senator Charlie Scott of Casper welcomed the litigation over government funded schools earlier this year. Scott said there are good constitutional arguments on both sides of the issue and expressed satisfaction that the courts would decide the arguments.
Even President Donald Trump has been following the school issue in Wyoming closely. In February, shortly after taking office for a second term, the President tweeted that “school choice” is a “top priority of my administration—putting power where it belongs-with parents.” The president congratulated Wyoming State Senator Bo Biteman for HB 199, which gives parents up to $7,000 per child to any Wyoming family, regardless of income, for non-public school expenditures like tuition for their pre-K through high-school students.
