Dear Superintendents,

There are no memos this week and we are waiting for the Governor’s signature on HB140 before we share a legislative summary.

Article about HB140

Federally, final congressional action and the President’s signature are expected today on education funding that lasts through September. Here’s a summary of Title funds:

There is a $300 million increase for Title I, the most important driver of equity in the federal education budget. Title II funding, which supports teacher preparation and professional development, is preserved at FY 2017 levels. Also, in light of recent tragic violent events in schools across the country, this bill includes $1.1 billion – an increase of $700 million – for Title IV-A to support school climate and safety initiatives.

The bill also includes the recently House-passed Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Act, funded at $75 million for the remainder of this fiscal year. The funding is made through the Dept. of Justice, not Education, so I’ll be working in the coming days to determine if Wyoming has access to a portion of these funds and what parameters are in place.

There are no memos this week.

Jillian