Court decides to let legal battle over Wyoming’s school-choice program proceed
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Official response and confirmed impact
Froelicher’s Nov. 6 decision is the latest bump in the road for advocates of the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Program.
Through the program, Wyoming residents can apply to receive up to $7,000 in state funds per student to pay for costs associated with private K-12 education.
The money covers not only private-school tuition, but also things like admission fees to zoos or internet classes for homeschooling children not enrolled in public education.
The 2025 law passed amid objections that it would violate the Wyoming Constitution, which bars the state from handing out public funds to individuals, corporations or associations “except for necessary support of the poor.” Shortly after it passed, a group of parents and the Wyoming Education Association sued to halt the program.
Incident under investigation
District Court Judge Peter Froelicher has again refused to dismiss the lawsuit against Wyoming’s universal school-choice program, leaving the fate of the controversial law uncertain as enrolled families accrue costs for private-school expenses the state program has pledged to fund.
The lawsuit, which named Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder, Wyoming State Treasurer Curt Meier and the State of Wyoming as defendants, asked the court to block the program.
