wyoming students

The Wyoming Department of Education and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder recently launched the initiative, which is being introduced in several areas throughout the state to get more preschool and kindergarten students outdoors and involved in nature-based education.

The board convened its first public meeting on Aug. 3 to undergo training on the history of charter schools in Wyoming, board etiquette, and establishing its operating procedures.

The Food Bank of Wyoming is providing food to students and their families who need it this summer via their Totes of Hope program. The need for food has increased statewide in the past year.

Staffing issues were a major reason the WCCA was abruptly shuttered in mid-September 2022, leaving 60 cadets and their families searching where to go next. The alternative education program offered through the Wyoming National Guard was housed at Camp Guernsey since its inception in 2006. But even with interest in launching a new program, several major issues must be overcome.

The plan is effect from this year until 2027, which marks the end of Megan Degenfelder's first term. Attracting and retaining teachers, transparency, and reflecting the needs of Wyoming's educational situation are also of the document. But the leaders of Wyoming Education Association and the Wyoming School Boards Association say they had no input in drafting it.

The Biden administration's proposal would allow for some restrictions to be placed on transgender student athletes but broad bans that prohibit them from competing on sports teams consistent with their gender identity would run afoul of Title IX. State Superintendent Megan Degenfelder says this is another example of federal overreach and vows to stand up to the administration of what she claims are harmful regulations.

Senate File 78 would require the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services to provide information on apprenticeship and on-the-job training programs to school boards to distribute to the high schools in their districts. It passed both chambers of the legislature unanimously.

Statistics show that 81.8 percent of students graduated in the last school year, a decrease of just over a half of a percentage point since the 2020-21 school year, the highest in a nine year period. Despite the small decline, there is hope that it won't be a long-term trend. Wyoming's graduation rate has been above 80 percent since the 2015-16 school year and has climbed several points in the past decade. However, it's lagged behind national rates.

The district, which serves Upton, is in its second year of offering online education to students statewide. This has nearly tripled their enrollment figures, which have been declining in recent years for in-person instruction.

The Reimagining and Innovating the Delivery of Education (RIDE) Council Advisory Group released its final report last week with recommendations on how to improve the state's K-12 education system. The goal is to make Wyoming competitive nationally and to be a leader on education related topics.