The Joint Interim Education Committee met in Cheyenne Friday to take testimony on potential changes to the structure of the Wyoming Department of Education and the role of the elected Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The Legislature and Governor Matt Mead enacted a law last year taking away many of Superintendent of Public Instruction Cindy Hill's duties. Hill challenged the law in court and subsequently the Wyoming Supreme Court said the law was unconstitutional.

The Committee was assigned the task of studying the fallout of the Wyoming Supreme Court decision as well as whether or not the legislature should attempt to restructure the Wyoming Department of Education and the Superintendent's role within the agency. Committee member Senator Chris Rothfuss of Laramie says they are trying to figure out their options.

What other states are doing, what we could potentially do to improve the organizational structure of the Department of Education in Wyoming and really try and figure out where we go from here. A time line would be great too, but I don't know if we are going to get to that.

Hill, in remarks to the committee, said they had a choice to make.

And you just like myself as you make decisions, you'll base them on your governing principles. So the question is this, what do you value. Do you value further centralization of education or decentralization of education.

The panel can recommend a special session.

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