Board hears update on state school funding recalibration; debate centers on class size, salaries and regional cost adjustments

Trustee Mr. Bartlett gave a legislative update describing work by Pikes & Associates and other consultants on the state's school finance recalibration. He said consultants are reviewing what schools must provide, how much those services cost and how the state could fund them.

Bartlett said the consultant's draft report recommends larger class sizes and increased use of tutors and instructional coaches; teacher pay remains a major unresolved item and will be handled by a separate consultant. "A few big rocks haven't been determined yet," Bartlett said, naming class size, salaries and regional cost adjustments as core drivers.

Trustees discussed the district's regional cost adjustment, which Bartlett said the district currently receives at 6 percent and has not been updated since 2005. Bartlett noted the Wyoming Cost of Living Index (WCLI) and a hedonic index are both used elsewhere to calculate regional adjustments, and that the right index can materially change funding: "In 2012 the WCLI was at 10 percent; now it's under 6 percent," he said, and he cited Teton County as an outlier with much higher adjustments.

The board discussed state insurance options: the consultants are considering whether districts should be required to join the state health plan; trustees noted joining carries enrollment and payroll-fee considerations and may be costly unless employee take-up is high.

Bartlett said the consultants' work will continue with regional professional judgment panels and that a final model and cost recommendations will be presented to the legislature and appropriations committees later in the year. Trustees asked staff to monitor the recalibration process and return with potential district budget implications.