A plan for the future of the state's community colleges will go forward without means to raise additional revenue.

The Wyoming Community College Task Force, a committee of legislators and educators, was formed in 2006 to re-evaluate the state's community college system. The state provides 60 percent of the funding for the colleges.

In the last few months, the committee discussed options to raise additional money, including a statewide property tax levy and a sales tax. The state's community colleges are governed by elected boards of trustees and receive money from taxes in their home counties: Natrona, Laramie, Sheridan, Goshen, Sweetwater, Park and Fremont.

In the end, a fair, sustainable plan couldn't be decided. Sen. Hank Coe, R-Cody, committee co-chairman, said a proposal to tax each non-college county for the students it sends to colleges might have worked, but state law doesn't allow property taxes to be assessed that way.

The 100-page strategic plan was mandated by the Legislature in 2009. The plan prioritizes steps to improve the college system, such as increasing need-based state aid and expanding distance learning, and indicates the organizations that need to work together to implement them. All seven local college boards approved the strategic plan, which underwent several changes in the past few months.

"We're educating a lot of people and putting them out in the working world," said Charlene Bodine, community college commissioner. "We're really doing good things here. We just want to do it better."

The committee also discussed discrepancies among school districts with students enrolled in college courses. Some schools award both high school and college credit for completed courses, according to an informal survey of 38 high schools. In some districts, the community colleges or enrolled students pay for tuition or fees, which violates state law.

The state Department of Education works closely with districts about this problem, but the law could be clearer to require formal agreements between districts and colleges, said Mary Kay Hill of the Department of Education.

"Even the brightest people look at us and say, 'Well, there's no agreement so we're not really violating the law,'" Hill said.

The committee voted to recommend legislation that would allow the Wyoming Community College Commission to gather and organize the varied policies. It was suggested that the work could come from the state's P-16 Education Council, a group of leaders in education, business and public policy.

One of the goals is to encourage students to graduate from high school with at least 12 college credits. College-level courses ease the transition between high school and post-secondary education, said committee co-chairman Rep. Del McOmie, R-Lander. Furthermore, many high school students reach senior year and only have to take a few required courses.

"The importance of this is so these seniors will take some of these courses and remain sharp," McOmie said.

Reach education reporter Jackie Borchardt at (307) 266-0593 or at jackie.borchardt@trib.com. Read her education blog at tribtown.trib.com/reportcard