Wyoming's public school funding crisis years in the making

When legislators gather in Cheyenne next month, they’ll be facing an unprecedented education funding crisis created by an economic downturn and fueled by years of generous spending.

The funding model that’s educated a generation of Wyoming students while largely keeping the state and its education system out of the courtroom for the past decade has hit a crisis point. State superintendent Jillian Balow said that historic spending levels are untenable. The funding shortfall could hit $1.8 billion by the 2022 fiscal year, according to a recent report.

“The truth of the matter is that we’re going to need to think about funding education as a Chevy rather than a Cadillac in the future,” Balow said.

The energy downturn, which is stretching into its second year, has struck school funding on a local and statewide level, education officials said. On Tuesday, Gov. Matt Mead said public school funding faces a “real crisis,“ one Wyoming couldn’t cut its way out of. Instead, the state would likely have to find new revenue streams.

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