The bill amends the current law regarding K-12 public school finance in Wyoming, specifically focusing on special education funding and teacher salaries. It introduces provisions for reimbursement of out-of-district special education placements, stating that expenditures for these placements will be reimbursed in the year they are incurred and distributed quarterly to school districts. Additionally, the bill establishes that the amount provided to school districts for special education will be equal to 100% of the actual expenditures from the previous school year, excluding out-of-district placements. The language also clarifies that these amounts will not affect the school foundation program amount under the education resource block grant model.

Furthermore, the bill sets the base salary for teachers at $65,000 starting in the 2026-2027 school year, as part of the education resource block grant model. It appropriates $348.6 million from the public school foundation program account for payments to school districts and an additional $8.9 million for reimbursing retirement costs outside the education resource block grant model, both for the period ending June 30, 2028. The appropriations are intended to be included in the standard budget for the department of education-school finance for the following fiscal biennium. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 21-13-321