On February 26, the Wyoming Education Association and eight school districts won a ruling in state district court that Wyoming’s model for funding public education is unconstitutional. The educators brought the lawsuit because of consistent underfunding in violation of Wyoming Supreme Court precedents that date back to 1980. 

“This ruling is a critical step in our state’s long road to support and maintain ‘a thorough and uniform education of a quality that is both visionary and unsurpassed,’ as our state Supreme Court has demanded,” said Dr. Alex Ayers, superintendent of Campbell County School District #1. “It will prevent students from attending unequal and inadequate school facilities. It will ensure they get the mental health support, nutrition, and technology that are integral to their success. It will also mean our hardworking and dedicated personnel are fairly compensated for the difference they make every day.”

Judge Peter Froelicher agreed with all six of the educators’ arguments for why the current funding model is unconstitutional:

1. The state has not properly funded the actual costs to provide quality educational goods and services.
2. The funding model has not been properly adjusted for inflation.
3. The state has not provided salaries adequate to recruit and retain personnel.
4. The state has not properly funded mental health counselors, school resource officers, nutritional programs, and computers.
5. The state has not adequately and evenly assessed school facilities for educational suitability.
6. The state has allowed unequal and inadequate school facilities to exist for too long.

The court ordered the state to modify its funding model to remedy the constitutional violations, saying it will maintain jurisdiction over the case until that occurs. 

The eight school districts were represented by Kelley Pearson of Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP, Richard Bush and John Coppede of Coal Creek Law, and George Lemich and Kari Moneyhun of Lemich Law Center.