State looks at new funding model for schools.

Late last week the Wyoming Department of Education met to discuss a new funding model for schools within the state. The department is considering using the percentage of time a student spends in class as the basis for future funding.
Currently districts are awarded funds from the State of Wyoming based on the number of full-time and part-time students who attend school. Under the proposed funding model, schools would be awarded funds based on the percentage of time a student is actually in the classroom.
The way the new system would work is fairly straight forward. If a student spends 75 percent of a school day in the classroom, the district would receive 75 percent of the total funding available for that student from the state. Under the current system, any student that spends more than 50 percent of the day in the classroom is considered a full-time student. The district receives full funding for those students.
The proposed change in the funding model would have a negative impact financially on Lincoln County School District No. 2. A large percentage of the students who attend high school within the district spend a portion of their day outside of the classroom.
“This new funding model would have an impact on students who are involved in work release programs, concurrent enrollment classes, release time seminary as well as those students who have met the necessary requirements for graduation and only attend part of the school day,” said Superintendent Jon Abrams. “Potentially the loss in state funds could be anywhere from $100,000 to a couple hundred thousand dollars a year for this district.”
In light of that impact, Superintendent Jon Abrams and Representative Dan Dockstader made a trip to Cheyenne last week to meet with the State Board of Education.
“The Board of Education was very receptive to our concerns and wanted to know the impact this funding change would have on districts across the state,” said Abrams. “The impact will be different in every district. There is really no question that the funding model would negatively impact this district.”
This week Lincoln County School District No. 2 has been crunching numbers. One of the questions the district was exploring was the cost of increasing the staff of SVHS.
If the high school students now involved in out of classroom programs during the school day were in school 100 percent of the time, the district would have to increase the school’s staff. According to Abrams, the cost of doing that far exceeds the amount of state money that would be lost if the new funding model is adopted.
“What it looks like right now is that the money we would spend in making the changes necessary to receive full state funding for each student will cost more than the money we would lose if we keep doing business as usual,” said Abrams. “I want to stress that this district is not looking at dropping any of the programs that will be impacted even if the state decides to move forward with this new funding model. If the decision is made to drop the programs at some point in the future, that is a decision that will come from the school board.”
Abrams also stated that the proposed funding model is “a work in progress.”
“There are a lot of questions yet to be answered,” said Abrams. “The State Board of Education is looking at those questions.”
Abrams was confident that no matter what decision the state comes to regarding the new funding model, Lincoln County School District No. 2 would “make it work.”
“It is important that people realize that this district will continue to do what is best for students and educators,” said Abrams. “We are proud of what our teachers and students are doing and we will continue to move forward with their best interests in mind.”