This story is part of our Quick Hits series. This series will bring you breaking news and short updates from throughout the state.
A Laramie County court has blocked the first payments to families receiving a school voucher under the state’s expanded Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Act.
This follows a temporary injunction Laramie County District Court Judge Peter Froelicher issued on June 27.
The written order for the preliminary injunction stems from a lawsuit brought by the Wyoming Education Association (WEA) and several families in June. The association argues the program, which was expanded during this year’s general session, takes money away from public schools. It also says private and religious schools may also discriminate against disabled and LGBTQ+ children.
Nearly 4,000 families had applied for the up to $7,000-per-child voucher ahead of the upcoming school year. The voucher can be used for private or charter school tuition and other homeschooling costs, including curriculum, tutoring, extra-curricular activities and other approved education-related costs. This year, lawmakers removed an income cap, opening the voucher to all families.
The program is also open to families with pre-kindergarten age children. Applicants must have a household income at or below 250% of the federal poverty guidelines to qualify.
The Department of Education says it’s working with the attorney general’s office to challenge the injunction.
In the order, Froelicher wrote WEA and the families have shown “a clear showing of probable success on the merits of their claims and have shown possible irreparable injury to the Plaintiffs.”
His order blocks the state and officials from directly or indirectly transferring, expending, reimbursing, releasing or distributing state funds to or on behalf of scholarship program participants, scholarship recipients or education service providers.
The state may continue paying for administering the program, along with continuing to accept, review and approve applications for scholarship program participants and certified providers.
“I am disheartened at the court's written order granting the WEA's injunction,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder wrote in a statement. “As one of nearly 4,000 Wyoming families, you have had your lives unnecessarily upended through no fault of your own. This constitutional dispute could have been handled in a different way to not cause such harm to you.”
“This is a crucial step in protecting our constitutional promise of a free, fair, and equitable public education for every Wyoming student,” the WEA wrote in a post on Facebook. “This win belongs to our members, our students, and our communities. We still have work ahead of us, and we will continue to fight for our students, our schools, and our future.”
The preliminary injunction will remain in effect until the case can be fully heard and the court makes a final ruling.
