Governor signs rural schools resolution
Sponsored by a Laramie lawmaker and backed by testimony from a Garrett rancher, House Resolution 3 follows up on a local fight for an extremely rural one-room schoolhouse.
Gov. Mark Gordon signed a resolution Tuesday reiterating Wyoming’s support for rural schools.
House Resolution 3 was backed by Albany County lawmakers and championed by Garrett ranchers. It comes on the heels of one family’s years-long struggle to establish a rural schoolhouse for their two children.
Anna Anderson, the mother of Antelope Creek School’s only two students, testified in support of the resolution when it appeared before the Senate Education Committee.
“Rural schools are more than a place of learning,” Anderson said. “They really are the heartbeat of their communities. They keep families together, they strengthen our rural economy and preserve the traditions that make Wyoming so special.”
The Andersons went to great lengths to secure the Antelope Creek School. Their journey took them through clashes with a state superintendent, a lawsuit before the Wyoming Supreme Court, a legislative hearing about the state budget, and finally to a special meeting of the Albany County School Board, attended by much of the Garret community, during which the board voted unanimously to greenlight the school.
Antelope Creek opened its doors in September.
The resolution signed by Gordon states the legislature is committed to “ensuring rural and isolated families do not have to fight to gain access to an education for their children.”
“The members of the Wyoming Legislature find that our constitution requires equitable access to education delivered from free public elementary schools, regardless of size and location,” HJ3 states. “The members of the Wyoming Legislature acknowledge the rural nature of our state, the historic use of rural schools and the need to financially support the establishment and maintenance of rural schools in Wyoming.”
The resolution is a statement of support rather than full legislation. It does not set aside money for rural schools or commit the state to providing any specific amenities for its rural families.
But the timing of the resolution might be crucial, as lawmakers were quick to point out during the committee hearing Anderson attended.
Casper Sen. Charles Scott (SD-30) said the resolution could and ought to guide the legislature in the coming year as it recalibrates the school funding model. Wyoming is required to undertake such a recalibration every five years.
The upcoming rework will be notable; in a highly publicized lawsuit brought by the state’s teachers, a court ruled late last month the legislature had failed in its constitutional duty to adequately fund public education.
The judge explicitly notes in his final order that the 2025 recalibration is “an excellent window of opportunity” to address deficiencies in the state’s funding model.
House Resolution 3 was sponsored by Rep. Trey Sherwood (HD-14) and co-sponsored by Albany County’s Republicans: Rep. Ocean Andrew (HD-46) and Sen. Gary Crum (SD-10).
It enjoyed overwhelming support in both chambers.
In the House, HJ3 received a unanimous vote from the nine member education committee before earning a 57-4 vote on the chamber floor. Across the hall, the resolution received a unanimous vote from the Senate Education Committee and then a 25-6 vote from the full Senate.
Correction: An earlier version of this story said the resolution received a unanimous 60-0 vote from the Senate. It did not. The resolution received a 25-6 vote from the Senate, then a unanimous 60-0 concurrence vote from the House, for which two members were excused. All votes for House Resolution 3 can be found on the bill’s official page under the “Votes” tab.
It's strange how the legislature can have nearly unanimous support for this kind of "equity," but can't make the logical extension to extend it beyond white, christian, males when it comes to DEI or healthcare for women.
Thanks for covering this!