Well, we made it… sort of. As of this writing, only six hours remain in this legislative session. I’m hoping no further damage to public education makes its way to the floor, but with this session, who knows? While teachers can’t collectively bargain for their salaries or display pride flags in schools, there have been a few bright spots, like yesterday’s passage of H.B. 100, the Food Security Amendments.
This bill, still awaiting Governor Cox’s signature, ensures free school lunch for K-12 students with the greatest need by eliminating the reduced-price category. Securing $2.5 million in funding from the legislature is an impressive feat in a lean budget year, and this investment will help students focus on learning instead of hunger.
In these final days, between 80 to 103 bills have been passed daily, and a staggering 958 bills were introduced this year—more than 400 of which are already law. While more legislation is expected to pass in the coming hours, not all of it is cause for celebration.
One of the biggest disappointments for public education came last night when Governor Cox signed H.B. 455, the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program Amendments, expanding and strengthening school vouchers. While some amendments were positive, such as ensuring funds only go to students not enrolled in public schools, clarifying that parents of homeschooled students don’t qualify as providers, and barring scholarship funds from being spent on Lagoon season passes or ski lift tickets, there’s a much bigger issue at play.
This bill diverts $82.6 million per year in taxpayer money away from public education for FY 2026 and 2027. Additionally, it costs the State Board of Education $10,400 just to implement its provisions. That’s money we can’t afford to lose, and there are still too few guardrails to ensure these $4,000 to $8,000 per-student scholarships are being used effectively for actual academic achievement—especially when that amount exceeds what is spent per pupil in the public system.
So, how did you survive this legislative session? I know it’s been trying at best, devastating at worst, but we made it to the end. Through it all, I’ve felt the strength of our numbers and the power of our voices.
I also want to shout out @elevate_pac on Instagram, the utahpolicy.com newsletter, UEA, and my fellow Policy Ambassadors for keeping me informed through the chaos. It’s encouraging to be surrounded by so many passionate individuals fighting for our schools and students!
