§ 21-20-201 — Agreement between districts and post-secondary education institutions required; student participation; credits; financial arrangements; transportation; accessibility; required annual reporting

(a) To provide a post secondary education enrollment
options program under this section, a Wyoming school district
board of trustees and a Wyoming community college district board
of trustees or the University of Wyoming shall enter into an
agreement whereby students resident of the participating
district may attend post secondary education programs offered by
the university or a participating community college. Effective
for the 2011-2012 school year and each school year thereafter,
the post secondary education enrollment options agreement shall
comply with minimum educational standards defined by the
commission in consultation with the department of education,
community colleges and the University of Wyoming, including post
secondary education enrollment options provided by means of
distance education. Additional student eligibility requirements
for program participation shall be based upon criteria
established by the university or the community college in
collaboration with the department of education, which address
the high school grade level, uniform prior curricula
requirements, academic achievement levels and national
examination performance indicators.
(b) An eligible student may, according to the agreement
between the school district and the university or community
college, enroll in a postsecondary education program offered at:
(i) The university, a community college, an
off-campus center or at a site meeting safety and accessibility
requirements under the instruction of a faculty member;
(ii) A higher education center which is part of a
college outreach cooperative education services agreement
entered into by one (1) or more community college districts and
one (1) or more school districts under W.S. 21-20-104; or
(iii) A high school or other facility maintained by
the participating district, under the instruction of a certified
teacher employed by the district or by a faculty member of the
institution entering into an agreement with the district.
(c) A student participating in a postsecondary education
enrollment options program pursuant to this section shall upon
successfully completing any course offered under the program,
receive academic credit by the resident school district which
shall be counted towards the graduation requirements of the
district. Evidence of successful completion of each course, the
secondary credits granted and a statement that the credits were
earned through program participation shall be made a part of the
participating student's records maintained by the district. In
addition, the participating student shall receive postsecondary
education credit for any course successfully completed under the
program.
(d) The school district and the university or community
college district entering into an agreement for purposes of this
section shall, if there are any fees within the agreement,
establish fees to be assessed to the school district for student
participation under the program, the payment schedule for the
established fees and other necessary arrangements to facilitate
fee payment and collection. Any textbooks, materials or
equipment purchased under the established fees shall be
addressed within the agreement entered into between the
university or college and the school district. The university or
community college shall not directly assess and collect any fee
from the participating student for textbooks, materials, student
services or any other fees otherwise assessed and collected from
students attending the institution.
(e) A student participating in the program shall be
counted within the average daily membership of the resident
school district as defined under W.S. 21-13-101(a)(i) and
concurrently by the participating higher education institution
for its full-time equivalent enrollment count. Effective
September 1, 2012 and each September 1 thereafter, any school
district or institution participating in an enrollment options
program agreement under this section, including any board of
cooperative educational services established under W.S.
21-20-104 and involved in the program, shall file a report with
the community college commission on student participation and
completion and on revenues and expenditures attributable to
program activities for the immediately preceding school year.
The report shall be based upon policy and guidelines developed
by the statewide discussions conducted pursuant to section 2 of
2010 Senate File 39 as enacted into law. Not later than October
1 of each school year, the commission shall report to the joint
education interim committee, the community colleges, the
department of education and the University of Wyoming on
statewide program revenues, expenditures and student
participation and completion.
(f) If the postsecondary education options program is
offered at a facility operated by the university or
participating community college which is located at a reasonable
distance from the high school at which the participating student
is enrolled, the district may provide for the transportation of
the student between the high school and the location at which
the program is offered. Costs incurred by the district under
this subsection shall be included as part of the district
transportation expenses as used in computing the district
foundation program amount under W.S. 21-13-309.
(g) Nothing in this section prohibits a high school
student from taking a college or university course apart from
agreements outlined in this section if the student bears the
cost.
(h) Each school district board of trustees shall in
conjunction with the University of Wyoming, community college
district boards of trustees or other post secondary education
institutions accredited by recognized and accepted accrediting
agencies, make post secondary education options programs
pursuant to this section reasonably accessible to eligible
students.