House Education committee advances bill to lift cap on state-authorized charter schools

CHEYENNE — On Jan. 20, 2025, the House Education Committee voted 9-0 to advance House Bill 94, which would remove the statutory cap on the number of state-authorized charter schools that the Wyoming Charter School Authorizing Board may approve. Representative Singh moved the measure; Representative Ewing Moss seconded it.

Supporters told the committee the cap is an arbitrary bottleneck that prevents the authorizing board from carrying out its duties and limits parental school choice. Wanda Maloney, speaking for State Superintendent Megan Degenfelder and the Wyoming Department of Education, said Degenfelder "is in support of this bill" and described the cap as "arbitrary" to negotiations around authorization.

The bill would eliminate a numerical limit on approvals by the state authorizer but would leave the board—s application standards and contract processes in place. Carrie Klein of the Wyoming Public Charter Schools Association said the board "was created to be the gatekeeper of authorizing high quality applications" and warned that if the moratorium remains in place, "we face a risk of potential bottleneck" when multiple applicants apply in the same period.

Public testimony included a mix of charter supporters and local-education representatives. Christian Winger, chief executive officer of Prairie View Community School in Chugwater, said the state-authorized option made his school possible and gave specific enrollment figures: "When our charter school or the year before our charter school started, there was 28 students in the public school system in Chugwater. Today we have 104 students in the public school system," he said, adding that the school remains a public school and hosts community events.

Opponents and cautioning witnesses raised potential fiscal impacts for districts. Tate Mullen, government relations director for the Wyoming Education Association, said the association supports school choice but warned the bill "will increase the overall cost on a yearly basis for public education" because charter schools often operate with lower pay and because districts remain responsible for maintaining schools and services. Boyd Brown of the Wyoming Association of School Administrators cautioned that funding formulas and per-pupil costs can increase when multiple schools operate in a district.

Representatives asked for clarity on local demand and impacts on small districts. Representative Kelly said decisions about whether a charter school is a good fit should be left to "local community schools, parents, and taxpayers to decide." Representative Singh framed the committee—s action narrowly: the bill removes the numerical cap, not the board—s authorization standards.

The committee record includes testimony from charter operators and advocacy groups arguing the state option provides a path for communities that could not secure district authorization. Several speakers described the statutory timelines in the current authorization process: an application window in early March and a statutory 90-day approval period, followed by contract negotiations and additional lead time; Carrie Klein and other witnesses said the entire timeline to open a new school typically spans about 18 months from application to opening.

The committee did not amend the bill and voted to advance it to the floor. The official committee record shows a unanimous committee vote to recommend passage to the full House.

Votes at a glance House Bill 94 (Charter school authorizations) — Committee action: do pass (9-0). Motion moved by Representative Singh; seconded by Representative Ewing Moss.