This week in the Utah Legislative Session. Discussion with Royce Van Tassell, Executive Director of the Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (UAPCS) includes the following:

• Revised revenue estimates:
  • WPU may be up 7%
  • Additional funding to be allocated for teachers supplies and materials
  • Additional funding to be allocated for additional teacher professional development days
  • $150M in one time funding from Economic Stabilization fund for all public education through a base + formula funding
• SB 127 Literacy Bil
  • She is very supportive of improving literacy outcomes and working with schools to improve their efforts through the LTRS program
  • Funding will be provided, especially to help lowest performing schools
• HB 193 All-day Kindergarten
  • Substitution adopted to allow an extra year of preparation
  • Will take affect 2025-2026 school year to give time to address staffing and building challenges
  • Every LEA to offer all-day kindergarten, but still can provide 1/2 day options to fit local demand.
• HB 331 Hope Scholarship
  • UAPCS neutral, don't anticipate this bill to pass

Contact Royce at royce@utahcharters.org with any comments/concerns about bills.
See www.utahcharters.org/legislative-updates for Watchlist of bills (under Advocacy tab).