Bill
SF 72
The bill would shift to a post-Labor Day start with a longer summer break by reducing required school days to 165 and adjusting funding rules accordingly.
Status: Introduced Jan 21, 2025; Passed Senate (17‑13‑1) Jan 22, 2025; Passed House 2nd Reading Feb 21, 2025; Failed House 3rd Reading Feb 24, 2025 (Final: Failed 5‑52‑5‑0‑0).
Sponsors: Primary sponsors listed as Senator Brennan and Representative Taylor (and multiple cosponsors from both chambers including Biteman, Landen, Olsen, Rothfuss, Andrew, Angelos, Banks, Rodriguez‑Williams, Wasserburger).
Purpose / Intent
- To preserve a traditional summer break by (1) requiring the public school year to begin after Labor Day and end (recess) by Memorial Day unless an alternative schedule is approved, and (2) reducing the minimum number of required school/class days and certain professional development days for Wyoming public schools. The bill states legislative intent regarding school calendar timing and related statutory adjustments.
Key provisions (what the bill would have done)
- Calendar timing: Require public school sessions to commence after Labor Day and recess not later than Memorial Day in the succeeding calendar year, except where an alternative schedule is approved by the State Board of Education.
- Minimum days: Reduce the statutory minimum number of school/class days each year from 175 to 165 days (text contains overlapping references to 175/165; the bill’s aim was to lower the minimum).
- Alternative schedules: Preserve and modify the State Board of Education’s role in approving alternative schedules (statutory references amended: W.S. 21‑2‑304(b)(viii), 21‑4‑301(a) and 21‑13‑307(a)(ii)).
- Funding/reporting: Amend the foundation program provision to address pro‑rata funding when a school term is shorter; several floor amendments sought to clarify how the education resource block grant and foundation program would calculate funding (some failed).
- Protections: The bill included a provision intended to prevent reductions in teacher salaries as a consequence of the change; an amendment would also have prohibited reductions in a district’s block grant funding (amendment failed).
- Effective date as drafted: July 1, 2026, with changes to apply beginning the 2026–2027 school year.
Who would be affected
- School districts: calendar planning, required minimum operating days, and possible impacts on scheduling of instruction and professional development.
- Students and families: timing of school start/end dates and preservation of an extended summer break.
- Teachers and staff: potential changes to work calendars; statutory language attempted to protect salaries.
- State Board of Education: continued authority to approve alternative schedules and establish pupil‑teacher contact time rules.
- State funding models: Wyoming Department of Education / LSO would recalibrate the K‑12 education resource block grant and foundation program to reflect any change in days.
Fiscal note
- LSO Fiscal Note: “No significant fiscal or personnel impact.” The Department of Education indicated the State Board’s minimum instructional hours would not change and that the block grant model would be recalibrated during the 2026 interim with implementation for the 2026‑2027 school year.
Legislative history / procedural highlights
- Referred to Education committee; committee recommendations and multiple floor amendments considered (some adopted, many failed).
- Passed the Senate (17–13–1) on Jan 22, 2025.
- Passed the House on 2nd reading and in committee of the whole, but failed final House 3rd Reading on Feb 24, 2025 (5 ayes, 52 nays). As a result, SF 72 did not become law.
Notable amendments considered (summary)
- Attempts to shift the start date to one week after the Wyoming State Fair (failed).
- Proposals to fix funding calculations to 175 attendance days for block grant purposes (failed).
- Proposed changes to the definition of Average Daily Membership (ADM) to alter attendance percentage rules (failed).
- Several technical and substantive amendments were introduced; a small number were adopted on the House floor before final failure.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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