The Wyoming House of Representatives added an eleventh hour amendment to the state budget that could be a big topic of discussion when the budget conference committee meets this week.
The Senate voted down three amendments to restore some of the nearly 46 million dollars in budget cuts to education, but the House adjusted how the budget reductions will be handled. The plan was originally to take the money out of what school districts use to pay for rising classroom costs and teacher salaries, but the House restored those cuts and instead reduced funding for Transportation.
Currently, school districts are reimbursed 100 percent for transportation. The amendment changes that reimbursement to 75 percent. Wyoming Education Association President Kathy Vetter said she prefers this reduction, but she adds school districts will still feel it.
“That’s a very fixed cost to make sure we can get out students to school. Our only variable cost would be our extracurricular or our field trips, but I think with it being the average of the past 3-years that it will come closer to covering everything we are currently doing.”
Vetter said districts may be able to manage this reduction more easily.
“I think it will be less of a cut and I think it will direct school districts to keep the cuts as far away from the classroom and the students as possible.”
It will be among the differences the budget conference committee will have to work out when it finalizes the budget.
