2021 Wyoming Statutes
Title 21 - Education
Chapter 15 - Capital Construction Projects
Section 21-15-115 - Statewide Standards for School Building and Facility Adequacy.

21-15-115. Statewide standards for school building and facility adequacy.

(a) The commission shall by rule and regulation establish and maintain uniform statewide standards for the adequacy of school buildings and facilities necessary for providing educational programs prescribed by law for the public schools. If a building owned by a district meets the applicable standards under this subsection for use by the district to educate students and was previously used for the purpose of educating students, no municipal or county zoning requirements shall be construed or applied so as to prevent the district from using the building for the purpose of educating students, or to require the district to make any modification to the building as a condition of using the building for the purpose of educating students. The uniform standards shall at minimum include:

(i) Requirements for educating students in a safe environment including all applicable building, health, safety and environmental codes and standards required by law for all public buildings;

(ii) Building site requirements;

(iii) Building performance standards and guidelines including energy efficiency criteria;

(iv) Assurances for the special needs of identified student populations including children with disabilities;

(v) Standards for educational space to allow the delivery of the required educational programs;

(vi) Building capacity criteria aligned to the prescribed state educational program, with consideration given to utilization differences between school sizes and school levels in accordance with W.S. 21-15-117(e)(iv);

(vii) Technological capacity criteria sufficient to meet required educational program needs and the requirements imposed under the state education technology plan;

(viii) Building and facility accessibility.

(b) Repealed by Laws 2021, ch. 131, § 2.

(c) The commission shall not less than once every four (4) years, review and evaluate the building and facility adequacy standards established under subsection (a) of this section. Review and evaluation of the standards shall include the identification of local enhancements to buildings and facilities during this review and evaluation period, and based upon criteria and procedures developed by the commission, a determination as to whether and how any local enhancements should be incorporated into the statewide standards. The review and evaluation under this subsection shall extend to components of the annual evaluation of school buildings, the facility remediation schedules and the needs prioritization process established by the commission under W.S. 21-15-117. Findings and recommendations pursuant to this subsection shall be reported to the select committee on school facilities before the next convening date of the legislative session immediately following completion of the review and evaluation, and shall specifically address any need to expand any needs assessment under W.S. 21-15-117, to conduct a reassessment of building and facility adequacy or to modify the needs prioritization process.

(d) The commission shall not hinder or curtail the right of a school district to undertake local enhancements to buildings and facilities which are in excess of state building adequacy standards, as permitted by law.