Chris Bessonette welcomes kids back to class with a warning of danger lurking in the bushes.
“Careful,” the head of Teton Science Schools’ Jackson campus says as bright-eyed students scurry past. “There’s a moose on your right.”
Once inside, they circle up for a round of morning affirmations. Kindergarteners take up positions in older kids’ laps, already familiar just three days into the new school year.
The school’s 90 or so students are evenly split between K-8th grade and toddlers enrolled in early childhood education. The outdoor-minded institution added its youngest programming in 2023, a year before it dropped high school due to low enrollment.
Bessonette hopes to rebuild the pipeline and says the state’s new school vouchers could help.
“Maybe when we actually have cash coming in,” he said. “I think people are still kind of waiting.”
Last week, Wyoming finally began doling out $7,000 checks for alternative schooling after the state Supreme Court this spring allowed the controversial program created in 2024 to proceed amid ongoing litigation.
The state expects to know roughly how much of the $50 million line item was distributed by Sept. 15. The money can be spent on private or charter school tuition or on homeschooling costs. It comes from Wyoming’s general fund, not the budget for public education. But the payments still triggered a lawsuit from the Wyoming Education Association, which argued the program would sap public funding.
Some 4,000 families originally applied for vouchers for the 2025-26 school year, only to have those payments held up days before they were set to be sent. They waited with bated breath for a similar scenario to play out this year.
So, when the checks actually hit her account last week, Jackson parent Klair Van Slyke said she was “ecstatic.
“I was happy, but I think I had no expectation,” Slyke said. “There are people on both sides of this issue.”
She plans to use the money to continue homeschooling four of her five kids. Three were approved for $7,000 each; her kindergartener was not. Slyke’s oldest daughter just entered Jackson Hole High School this fall after a decade homeschooling.
About 93% of Wyoming students attend public schools, according to the Wyoming Education Association. That number is closer to 88% in Teton County, with 2,800 in public schools and about 400 attending a mix of private offerings, based on 2022 numbers. The closest charter school is in Alpine.
Bessonette said the money is coming too late this fall to have a meaningful impact on enrollment at Teton Science Schools.
“Hopefully next year that will provide some financial opportunity for some folks who otherwise might not feel quite as comfortable,” he said.
Tuition for K-8 is $29,000 a year per child, but some families pay as little as $2,000, he said, meaning a voucher would cover all of the cost.
At Teton County’s other private schools, the impact of vouchers is more mixed.
“Our enrollment is up this year and our families are blessed by the school vouchers,” said Classical Academy Executive Director Sheila McDoniel. “We do feel they have helped to grow enrollment.”
She declined to offer specifics, citing privacy. The South Park private school founded in 2011 by the Friess family more than doubled its capacity last year to 265 students.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Jackson Hole Christian Academy has just eight students this year, including one graduating senior. The school does not expect to see an immediate enrollment increase because of the vouchers, the school’s secretary Lisa Moyer said.
The impact on public school enrollment also appears to be limited, at least so far.
Teton County School District had only been notified of one family enrolling in homeschool using the vouchers and was not aware of any transfers to other schools, Communications Director Charlotte Reynolds said. She added that parents aren’t required to announce such transfers.
This article has been updated to correct the name and title of the Jackson Hole Christian Academy secretary. – Ed.
