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Tuesday, February 11, 2025

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A potent winter storm is thumping 1,500 miles of the US. Two more are right behind it; Amid scientists' warnings, Trump admin. sued over medical research cuts; Mississippi communities find local solutions to rural education challenges; CT groups rally against gas pipeline expansion.

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President Donald Trump approves 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum. Democrats who oppose dismantling the agency have been denied access to the Department of Education. And some places buck policy trends on sex education and immigration.

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Medical debt, which tops $90 billion has an outsized impact on rural communities, a new photography book shares the story of 5,000 schools built for Black students between 1912 and 1937, and anti-hunger advocates champion SNAP.

Poll: 68% of Wyoming Republicans oppose universal school vouchers

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Tuesday, February 4, 2025   

A Wyoming bill to expand a school voucher program passed the House last week, despite a new survey showing most Republican voters in the state oppose the system.

House Bill 199 would offer up to $7,000 per student to families for nonpublic K-12 schooling. Proponents said the increased competition will improve education.

Kim Amen, president of the Wyoming Education Association, said the playing field is uneven because private schools do not have to post lesson plans and their students are not required to take state tests.

"If you're talking about competition, the competition isn't fair because one playing field doesn't have any accountability at all," Amen pointed out. "The other playing field has so much accountability, they can't keep up."

The proposed program is a revamped version of a 2024 Education Savings Account program. The new one offers more money, disqualifies pre-K students and gets rid of income requirements. A recent poll of nearly 700 Republican voters in Wyoming shows 68% oppose universal school vouchers.

There are questions about the bill's legality, as the Wyoming Constitution prohibits the state from giving money to most individuals and prohibits the use of public funds for private or parochial schools. The voucher funds would divert money from public schools. Amen argued it is an equity problem.

"Our rural communities do not have access to the private schools that our larger communities have," Amen emphasized. "When you talk about giving universal vouchers, if you're in Cheyenne, that might work out well for you. But if you're in Meeteetse, you don't have a lot of options."

Amen called Wyoming public schools and their employees "amazing." Meanwhile, President Donald Trump released an executive order last week prioritizing "educational choice."


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