Planning & Financing

Project Financing

District facility plans, along with other assessment tools and methodologies, are used to help SFD formulate funding recommendations for various school facility projects across the state, including capital construction and component projects. These project and funding recommendations are included in the SFC/SFD Annual Report and Budget Request which is sent to the Select Committee on School Facilities and the governor.

After getting input from the Select Committee, the budget portion of the annual report proceeds through a legislative and executive review process where the original funding recommendations may be modified by the governor, the Legislature, or both.

Final funding requests are then included in a draft bill and presented to the entire Legislature for further action. Once approved, the bill is sent to the governor to sign so funds can be dispersed to various projects.

For major maintenance projects, school districts receive annual funding from the state. The amount is derived from a formula that is partially based on the replacement value of school facilities in each district, as well as each district's ADM (Average Daily Membership).

Facility Planning

Facility plans detail the ways each district intends to remedy the facility needs of education, administration, and transportation buildings within its jurisdiction.

Under SFC Rules and Regulations, facility plans are required to include a full outline of major maintenance, details on facility modifications (including grade configurations), justifications for new or replacement facilities, anticipated land acquisitions, and an estimated cost for all remedies being proposed.

Assisting each district with developing a long-range, comprehensive facility plan is, by statute, a fundamental duty of the School Facilities Department.

2024 Facility Planning For School Districts Training Webinar

2023 Facility Plans

School Facility Budget Timelines

Facilities Condition Assessments

Facility Planning is one of the most fundamental duties of the SFD. Wyoming law requires SFD to gather and maintain a database on each school district's facilities. That's why the SFD conducts Condition Assessments and studies the condition of each educational building. 

Historically, facility assessments have been performed by a third-party consultant and are funded through legislative appropriations. 

2016 Indices

The rankings reflected in the following documents are based on building condition scores as determined by the assessment process. 

Please note: a building's rank and/or score does not imply a guarantee of legislative funding.

Non-Educational Buildings

Statewide Index

District-Level Index

Frequently Asked Questions about the Facility Condition Assessment Process

My school was just completed earlier this year, why would it need to be assessed right away?

§21-15-115 (b)(vi) requires a comprehensive assessment of existing buildings, including an inventory of all facility spaces. Once a building undergoes a major renovation or is a brand new building, statute requires that it receive a comprehensive assessment and space-by-space identification and measurement.

§21-15-117 (a) requires the commission to adopt the remedy that is in the best financial and educational interests of the state. Determining what is in the best financial and educational interests of the state requires a comprehensive understanding of the building portfolio as a whole as well as the individual buildings within that portfolio.

§21-15-117 (d) requires prioritization of facility needs on a state wide basis. In order to prioritize needs on a statewide basis, current replacement value (CRV) and deferred maintenance per building must be established for comparison with all other buildings.

§21-15-117 (e) requires capacity calculations when considering facility needs. Capacity analysis is based on space measurement and use identification of all spaces within a building.

What components and systems will be assessed?

All components and systems of the buildings and facilities identified by the State Construction Department will be assessed. 

Who will be conducting the assessment?

Assessments are done by a third-party consultant that follows specific criteria as required by the Wyoming State Construction Department.

Why are building condition assessments conducted?

The condition assessment is a tool for both the state and school districts to identify maintenance needs throughout each building and facility to help plan, budget, and prioritize funds received by school districts.

Will school districts be allowed to contribute during the assessment process?

We encourage districts to engage in the process and accompany assessors for the onsite physical assessment. This is  so that a district can identify notes related to any system score that in its opinion doesn’t reflect actual conditions, and has the opportunity to provide clarifying data for the consultant to consider.

The systems being assessed are still under warranty, so isn't their performance guaranteed?

Assessments do not impact warranties, but are instead a baseline for the anticipated life-cycle of systems. In addition, if a warranty issue does arise, an unbiased opinion established within a condition assessment may help a district be proactive in identifying issues at an earlier stage.

How often will facility condidtion assessments occur?

The frequency of assessments is contingent on commission directives, availability of funds, and legislative action.