Senate panel advances bill to send more district funds directly to charter schools, districts warn of shortfalls

The Senate Education Committee on Jan. 22 advanced Senate File 73, a bill to change how certain district-level funding is allocated to public charter schools, voting to send the measure to the full Senate.

Supporters said the bill corrects an existing funding inequity by directing a proportional share of specified personnel and nonpersonnel components of the school funding model to the charter school that generates them. Opponents, including district finance officials and the Wyoming School Boards Association, said the change could shift hundreds of thousands of dollars away from districts that currently provide central services to district-authorized charter schools and leave districts with shortfalls until contracts are renegotiated.

The bill would calculate a charter school's share based on average daily membership (ADM) and flow the proportional amount to the school rather than retaining the funds at the district level, according to testimony from charter advocates. The measure…