School board members from across Wyoming met last week to vote on legislative priorities for the years ahead.
Wyoming School Board Association considered 22 resolutions. Many of those that passed addressed school accountability and funding.
Other resolutions include support for early childhood education efforts and stricter attendance policies. Association Executive Director Brian Farmer says the group’s calling to raise the mandatory school attendance age.
“Once a kid hits 16, they’re able to drop out from school,” says Farmer. “And, we think that it’s very difficult for a kid to be successful when they have opportunities to get out. If we were to change that age from 16 to 18 or graduation, it’s really telling the student that dropping out is not an option.”
The group denied several proposals—including one calling for schools to add a history of Wyoming’s Native American tribes into curriculum.
“The sticking point has always come down to this question of, ‘what is the role of the state in dictating curriculum?’ says Farmer. “And generally speaking, it is not the state’s role. That is a local school district function to establish and adopt a curriculum.”
The various proposals were submitted by local school boards around the state.