The Regional Educational Laboratories are authorized by the Educational Research, Development, Dissemination and Improvement Act. Many people can't afford the traditional way of getting a higher education degree, which is learning by sitting in the classroom. Technology can be an effective and cheaper way to help people learn. A 1992 lawsuit, Campbell County School District v. State of Wyoming, charged that the state's funding formula violated the state constitution's education and equal protection clauses. According to the newsletter, Wyo.'s school funding formula is based on state and local aid and guarantees minimum resources for all school districts.
State aid is distributed according to a district's wealth and average daily membership.
Education is considered a fundamental right in Wyo., following the 1980 decision, Washakie v. Herschler. The plaintiffs complained that the state funding formula failed to achieve the level of equity required under Washakie. In particular, large school districts argued they lacked sufficient resources to provide a quality education, especially for low-income students. According to the newsletter, the court found that the finance formula, because it was not based on actual operating costs, produced disparities in funding across the state, violating constitutional principles. The Wyoming Supreme Court ordered the legislature to develop a new funding formula by July 1997 that utilized actual cost figures.