Committee hears proposal to reduce CTE weight to 1.2, raise per‑teacher equipment allowance

The recalibration team recommended lowering the CTE pupil weight from 1.29 to 1.20 and increasing the equipment allocation tied to the ECA to roughly $14,036 per CTE teacher.

Consultant Doctor Pikes said the 1.29 weight reflected an earlier era when more CTE courses required small, workshop‑style classes; current CTE programming includes a mix of computer‑based and experiential courses. He said the recommended 1.20 weight represents a compromise accounting for both types: “Many CTE courses really don't take place in an environment… some classes would remain the sort of computer based, tech based kinds of CTE. They can be supervised in a class of 25. Others would not. And so that represents a number that assumes some split between those two types of classes,” he said.

The team estimated reducing the weight to 1.20 would save about $1,320,000 and reduce roughly 14.5 FTE positions in the statewide simulation. The recalibration also recommends raising the equipment allocation to $14,036 per CTE teacher (the presentation noted the statutory ECA amount had increased to an updated figure to reflect equipment cost inflation).

During public comment, representatives of the Wyoming Association for Career and Technical Education urged continued prioritization of CTE and highlighted workforce shortages. Rob Hill, public‑policy chair for the association, and Jesse Defoe said the state has lost roughly 100 CTE teachers since the 1990s — about a 22% decline — and they urged further investment to expand middle‑school CTE access and to strengthen the pipeline of instructors.

Committee members sought additional study time and detailed local data. Doctor Pikes and staff said a more detailed, focused study could narrow the weight estimate but was beyond the current recalibration budget and schedule; the presenter suggested the committee might pursue a longer study if members wish.