Committee rejects proposal to keep school maintenance funding at 135% in 3–2 vote

A Senate select committee considered legislation to retain an elevated funding multiplier for school building square footage but voted 3–2 to reject the measure after lawmakers debated whether the extra state funding should cover older, oversized facilities or risk creating incentives for districts to add noninstructional "enhancements."

The bill would keep the state’s major-maintenance formula at 135% of allowable square footage — up from the prior 115% — a change the select committee adopted last year and recommended be continued. Supporters said the higher multiplier better matches funding to the real inventory of space across many districts and reduces deferred maintenance that can force costly replacements.

"We went from a 115% of that square footage to a 135%," the sponsor told the committee, describing last year’s temporary change and the rationale for continuing it. Del McComey, director of the State Construction Department, told the committee the change would add roughly $31,900,000 to the biennial major-maintenance allocation (about $15.9 million in FY27 and $16.0 million in FY28) and would move roughly 13 additional school districts to 100% funding under the allowable square-footage calculation.

Opponents raised two principal objections. Several lawmakers said the policy could unintentionally subsidize noninstructional "enhancements" such as aquatic centers or other add-ons that many communities fund locally; they argued this could tilt equity and create pressure to increase the multiplier for newly built schools. Senator Garupe urged placing “sideboards” on what counts as eligible square footage, suggesting options such as excluding enhancements added after a set date or grandfathering only older facilities.

Staff and the construction director said the system can calculate a date-based exclusion if the committee wants an amendment and noted that many enhancements historically were funded with local bonds or sinking funds. Matthew Wilmart, an LSO senior school finance analyst, said the bill would amend statutory language (references in the draft to sections 21-13-309 and 21-15-109), striking the 115% references and retaining the 135% language included last session; he estimated the change would increase funded educational square footage coverage from roughly 80% to about 90% statewide.

Supporters argued the increase is an investment that saves money over time. The director cited consultant studies estimating the funding change could save an estimated $3.3 billion in future capital construction by extending building life expectancy and avoiding premature replacement.

Kelly Little of the Associated General Contractors of Wyoming testified in support, calling the proposal a "spend a penny, save a pound" approach to preserving public buildings. Several committee members said they understood the long-term savings argument but remained concerned about how additional block-grant dollars could be used by districts and whether routine maintenance funds and major-maintenance accounts are sufficiently insulated from broader local spending choices.

The committee held a roll call on Senate File 003. Senators Driscoll and Giroux recorded "Aye." Senators French and Larson recorded "No." The chair announced the tally as three no's and two ayes; the bill failed in committee. The chair said additional rereferred bills remain and offered to schedule another committee meeting to hear them.

The committee’s discussion highlighted two follow-up questions for future action: whether the Legislature should craft a date-based or enhancement-specific exclusion to the 135% multiplier and whether stricter statutory controls are required to ensure additional block-grant funds are spent on routine or major maintenance rather than other local priorities.