(Statewide) – Following a meeting in late April, the Wyoming High School Activities Association (WHSAA) Board issued a release on May 8, regarding the “projected funding shortfall for student activities and athletics,” resulting from “recent changes to Wyoming’s school funding model.”
At that meeting, board members reviewed the impact of the 2026 legislative recalibration bill, which introduced a new “silo” approach to the state’s block grant funding.
The release explains that under this model, “funding allocated for student activities and extra-duty responsibilities has decreased from $46.3 million to $42.4 million, a reduction of approximately 8.4% for school districts across Wyoming,” and that additionally, “the restructuring limits district flexibility by restricting access to approximately $76.2 million in previously more adaptable funding which will result in cuts requiring extreme restructuring of existing activities and athletic offerings for Wyoming students.”
The bill was sponsored by the Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration, which consists of Senate Chairman Tim Salazar (R – District S26) and Senate members Bo Biteman (R – District S21), Evie Brennan (R – District S31), Troy McKeown (R District S24), Chris Rothfuss (D – District S09), and Wendy Schuler (R – District S15), as well as House Chairman Scott Heiner (R – District H18) and House members Ocean Andrew (R – District H46), John Bear (R – District H31), Tom Kelly (R – District H30), Chip Neiman (R – District H01), and Mike Yin (D – District H16).
Supporters of the recalibration effort have argued that the new funding model improves transparency and accountability in school spending.
The Board shared potential adjustments that are under consideration “to help balance rising costs with reduced funding” and clarified that the options are “exploratory and intended to stimulate ongoing collaboration with school districts.”
Some of the options include cuts to “culminating events,” like eliminating regional tournaments, eliminating consolation games, limiting the number of teams qualifying for State events from eight to four, and limiting the number of individuals participating (such as “2 Classes of Boys Wrestling; Top 16 times/marks in Track and Field”).
Another possibility is eliminating or reducing regular-season tournaments and reducing the number of contests in every sport.
The Board also suggested program cuts “based on the number of schools/students participating, availability of a separate season, and cost to schools,” including: soccer, indoor track and field, Nordic skiing, alpine skiing, swimming and diving, Spring golf, and Spring tennis.
The cuts could also extend to activities, resulting in:
- Reducing in-person Speech and Debate events from 12 to six events
- Having a limit of six Speech and Debate workshop events (all workshop events to be one day with no overnight stays)
- Centrally locating the All-State music event to provide for less travel
- Eliminating participation in national events like: Student Council Vision Conference, NSDA National Qualifying Speech Tournament, All-Northwest Music, Washington Leadership Institute (SkillsUSA), MidAmerica Conference (SkillsUSA), FCCLA National Leadership Institute, FCCLA Chapter Advisors Summit, FBLA National Fall Leadership Conference
- Eliminating overnight travel for FFA and SkillsUSA
The Board provided the following recommendations to all schools as they adjust:
- Limit number of teams (possibly eliminate FR, SO, JV or ‘C’ teams)
- Use fewer officials for contests
- Set limits on the number of players on a team
- No funding for national travel
- Contests should be played on Friday and Saturday to minimize substitute teacher costs to districts
- Increase gate admission
- Implement or increase a student participation fee
The Board also noted that “reductions in activities could have broader economic consequences for communities across Wyoming, including decreased travel-related revenue for local businesses such as hotels and restaurants.”
In terms of immediate and long-term impacts, the Board shared that “district leaders, including athletic directors, superintendents, school board members, and a representative from the Wyoming Department of Education, shared plans for addressing the shortfall.”
“Most districts indicated they will rely on cash carryover funds to support activities and athletics during the 2026–27 school year. However, this approach is widely viewed as a temporary, one-year solution rather than a sustainable path forward.”
Fremont County School District #1 Superintendent Mike Harris recently shared with County 10 that the shortfall is “estimated to be over $400,000 for the 2026-2027 school year” for Lander schools.
The FCSD #1 school board discussed the matter at a May 5 meeting, and are “considering several ways to address the shortfall.”
“Our guiding principle is to continue providing a wide variety of activities to enrich students’ academic experiences, so we do not favor the elimination of any programs at this time,” Harris said, adding that the following actions were discussed as the board’s “preferred options to preserve strong activity programs while reducing costs”:
- Freezing coaching and “extra duty” stipends at 2025-2026 levels
- Removing co-curricular and intercurricular coach/sponsor stipends from the activities budget (i.e., Math Counts, FBLA, FFA, etc., and moving these stipends into the “instructional silo” in the State’s new funding model)
- Scaling back the district’s drug testing policy for students involved in extracurricular activities
- Reducing overnight travel and meal expenses (reserving travel funding for regional and state competitions)
- Increasing participation fees (currently $20 per sport)
- Reducing coach-to-student ratios for athletic activities (perhaps one paid coach for every 25 student-athletes)
Harris added that even if FCSD #1 were to implement all of the above for next school year, it would “still be in the hole by over $80,000 for 2026-2027.”
“We will have to cover the remainder with reserve funding saved from previous school years,” Harris said. “However, as the WHSAA press release points out, that is not viable in the long term.”
“The state legislature’s Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration has a great deal of influence on what happens to activities funding during the next legislative session,” Harris added, and noted that the Committee will be meeting in Lander on June 24 and 25, at the FCSD #1 district office (863 Sweetwater Street).
“Those who wish to weigh in on any of these topics are welcome and encouraged to participate in the upcoming meeting,” Harris said, noting that the Committee will be taking public comment on school safety personnel (school resource officers) and school nutrition programs, in addition to student activities.
Folks interested in attending the meeting and getting more details can view the full agenda for both days here.
The WHSAA also encourages continued dialogue with state legislators “to ensure that funding decisions reflect the value and impact of student activities and athletics throughout Wyoming.”
“The WHSAA remains committed to supporting Wyoming students and will continue working closely with school districts to identify solutions. This includes exploring cost-saving measures, forming a collaborative committee, and engaging with parents, communities, and policymakers.”
For more information on how to be part of future engagements or committees, the WSHAA board can be contacted here.
County 10 will reach out to other school districts in Fremont in the coming weeks to report on how the shortfall may affect schools across the county.