Dive Brief:
- Since 1998, Wyoming has allocated hundreds of millions of dollars from its coal lease bonus money towards K-12 school construction. As the state sees a decrease in coal mining investments due to the federal government’s stricter carbon pollution standards, Wyoming must decide how to deal with this loss in school building money.
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Wyoming legislators approved almost $231 million in new K-12 school construction for the upcoming fiscal year; however, the disappearing funding source means the state must reevaluate these plans.
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The state, known for its wide-open spaces, currently has 375 schools, many of which are small neighborhood schools. One solution is merging schools so the state will have less buildings to worry about. As State Sen. Bill Landen (R-Casper) said, as coal money dwindles, issues like school proximity may become a bigger part of the discussion in school construction.
Dive Insight:
Critics of the school merging idea believe neighborhood schools are an important way to create community, as the school becomes something of a lynchpin for the town and its residents. On the other hand, school quality is impacted by surroundings; if too many remote schools mean the deterioration of buildings as maintenance becomes more difficult, then merging may be a necessary solution.
Dive Awards
