Board member cites Cheyenne ruling that state underfunded school finance; says judge will maintain oversight

Allie (board member) informed the Fremont County School District #25 Board of Trustees on March 20 about a Cheyenne court ruling finding the state legislature underfunded school finance.

Allie told trustees that the opinion by Judge Peter Froelicker — issued Feb. 26, 2025, according to her account — was “quite scathing” and concluded the state had violated students’ constitutional rights to an equal and adequate education. She said the judge is maintaining jurisdiction and will oversee whatever remedial funding plan the state develops, potentially limiting the state’s ability to shield funding changes from judicial review.

"Basically, what it says is, yeah, you gotta fund schools better. You not doing so over all of these years has led to a violation of students' constitutional right to an equal and adequate education," Allie said during the meeting. She added that the judge’s order creates a year for “recalibration” and that substantial legislative work may be needed in the next session to change the funding formulas.

Allie warned trustees that, given the opinion, laws passed this year that shift public funds to private education — including an announced $7,000 voucher program referenced in meeting discussion — could be vulnerable to constitutional challenge. She said the judge's approach mirrors other Wyoming cases in which courts maintained jurisdiction during a remedial period.

Allie offered to present additional information to the board and to update trustees if an appeal is filed; she noted Feb. 26, 2025, as the decision date and said any appeal would have had a 30-day filing window beginning from that date.

Ending: The note was an informational update; trustees did not vote on or take formal action regarding the court decision at the meeting.