Cheyenne, Wyoming – Aiming to ensure continued educational opportunities for all Wyoming citizens at the state’s community colleges, the Wyoming Senate approved legislation today to provide a stable source of funding for Wyoming's community colleges based on realistic enrollment levels.
“Wyoming’s community colleges are not only a critical linchpin in our education system, but they play a big role in supporting our local economies,” said Senator Bruce Burns “They’re training Wyoming citizens for the jobs we have available right here, right now, as well as those we’ll have in the near future.”
House Bill 80, Community College Recalibration, was unanimously approved by the Senate today. The bill was previously unanimously approved by the House of Representatives and now awaits signature from Governor Matt Mead to become law.
“This bill is a win-win for the people of Wyoming,” said Senator Hank Coe, a sponsor of the bill. “Not only do we ensure that our community colleges have a reliable source of funding, but we as a legislature will be better prepared to budget for their needs.”
Enrollment growth funding for community colleges, considered each biennium as one-time, exception budget funding, is the current mechanism set up in the statutes to provide operational revenue for the community colleges to cover the costs of enrollment growth over the base period of 2004-2005. Unfortunately, as one-time funding, it does not support stability, and the colleges cannot plan for its receipt and usage for long-term initiatives.
HB 80 sets the new base at the Governor's recommendation for 2017-2018, and then allows the legislature to recalibrate for 2019-2020, with subsequent recalibration every four years after that. Although the new base period recognizes the dramatic growth the colleges have experienced since 2004-2005, it is not the peak period of growth since then.
“HB80 reflects years of hard work and provides a vehicle for reliable and predictable funding for Wyoming's community colleges,” said Erin Taylor, Executive Director of the Wyoming Association of Community College Trustees. “The beauty of the bill is that when enrollment goes up, the funding increases. In a similar manner, when enrollment goes down, the funding will decrease.”
In addition to serving many traditional college-aged students, 30% to 40% of the students on community college campuses are adults who have been in the workforce for five, ten or more years. Community colleges help nearly 700 Wyoming students earn their high school equivalency certificates through one-on-one and group classes and provide testing services for another 500 students. The 1,200 high school equivalency certificates awarded each year by Wyoming’s Community Colleges make community colleges the state’s largest producer of high school graduates.
“We have worked for a long time on this funding issue for a community college system that is among the best in the nation,” said Senator Bill Landen, a sponsor of the bill. “In any given year nearly 40,000 students are taking courses or enjoying lifelong learning at one of our colleges across the state. This consistent funding formula will help the colleges and help policy makers at the same time going forward.”
