Wyoming will challenge a recent court ruling that found the state unconstitutionally underfunded its public schools, according to a notice of appeal filed Wednesday in Laramie District Court, Wyoming News Now reports.
The state is asking the Wyoming Supreme Court to review the case, which has significant implications for education funding across the state.
The appeal follows Laramie County District Court Judge Peter Froelicher’s February decision, which determined that the Wyoming Legislature failed to meet its constitutional obligations to properly fund public education. The ruling cited issues such as insufficient salary adjustments for inflation, inadequate funding for school resource officers, and low pay that hampers efforts to recruit and retain qualified teachers.
Education leaders and plaintiffs in the case welcomed the ruling, saying it could provide much-needed resources for mental health counselors, school nutrition programs, improved safety measures, and competitive teacher salaries.
However, the state has requested a stay, meaning it wants to delay implementing the ruling while the appeal process unfolds. Plaintiffs oppose this request, arguing that it would prolong violations of students’ constitutional rights.
“This is not an ordinary case where delay might merely cause inconvenience,” plaintiffs argued in court documents. “It is a case of delaying the enforcement of a right that affects children now and throughout their lives.”
On Thursday, Judge Froelicher denied the state’s request for a stay, meaning his ruling remains in effect as the appeal moves forward.
The Wyoming Education Association (WEA), an advocacy group representing 6,000 educators, sued the state in August 2022, alleging that Wyoming’s school funding model violates the state constitution by failing to provide adequate financial support for public schools.
The case is rooted in Article 7 of the Wyoming Constitution, which mandates that the Legislature “shall provide for the establishment and maintenance of a complete and uniform system of public instruction.” Past legal battles, including the Campbell cases of the 1980s and 1990s, reinforced the state’s responsibility to determine the cost of a high-quality education, fund schools accordingly, and adjust for inflation every two years.
Froelicher’s 186-page ruling found that Wyoming has not met these mandates, impacting the quality of education available to students. He ordered the state to revise its funding model to comply with constitutional requirements.
The ruling has already influenced legislative decisions. Two days after the court’s decision, the Wyoming Senate voted to restore the full $66.3 million external cost adjustment for teacher and school staff salaries—an amount that had been reduced by lawmakers but supported by Governor Mark Gordon.
The state has also pointed to the upcoming 2025 school funding recalibration process, which reviews education funding to ensure it aligns with costs and needs. However, plaintiffs argue that this recalibration was already required by law and should not be used as a reason to delay changes mandated by the court ruling.
