Understanding the Impact of Utah’s Expanded School Voucher Program

Vouchers Hurt Our Public Schools

What Utah Families Need to Know: The Hidden Risks of HB 455

The Utah Legislature has passed House Bill 455, significantly expanding the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program. While presented as enhancing educational choice, this expansion creates substantial risks that Utah families, educators, and communities should understand:

• Public School Vulnerability: Coming amid recent closures of multiple Utah elementary schools, this expansion could accelerate enrollment declines that lead to more school closures and reduced educational offerings
• Diminished Protections for Disabled Students: Private schools receiving vouchers aren’t required to implement IEPs, 504 plans, or provide accommodations guaranteed in public settings
• Potential Long-Term Funding Shifts: The prioritization system creates a self-perpetuating cycle that may permanently redirect increasing amounts of educational funding away from public schools
• Religious Education Considerations: The bill further blurs boundaries between taxpayer funding and religious instruction, raising important considerations about church-state separation

This guide explains the program’s expansion to 300% of federal poverty level, the $8,000 private school/$4,000-$6,000 homeschool allocations, and what these changes mean for Utah’s educational landscape.

As a parent with a child in private religious education who chose not to use the voucher program, I offer this analysis to help families and communities understand both the individual opportunities and broader systemic impacts of these significant changes.

What HB 455 Changes About Utah’s Voucher Program

The recently passed HB 455 significantly expands Utah’s school voucher program in ways that will reshape educational funding throughout the state. Here are the key changes Utah families should understand:

Expanded Eligibility and Funding

The bill increases income eligibility from 200% to 300% of the federal poverty level, significantly expanding the pool of families who qualify for priority enrollment. The program maintains substantial annual allocations of $8,000 for private school students and provides $4,000-$6,000 for homeschooled students based on age.

The Self-Perpetuating Funding Cycle

HB 455 establishes a priority system that creates a permanent, expanding diversion of education funds:

1. Current recipients get absolute priority — Once in the program, students maintain first-priority status year after year until graduation, guaranteeing continued funding regardless of changes in family circumstances or income
2. Expanded middle-income eligibility — Families earning up to 300% of federal poverty level receive second priority, creating a much larger pool of participants than the original program
3. Family expansion through siblings — Third priority for siblings means each participating family can progressively bring in more children, further increasing the funds diverted from public education
4. Lottery for remaining spots — Any remaining funds are distributed by lottery, bringing even more families into the top priority category for subsequent years

This system functions as a one-way valve — money flows out of public education into the voucher program, but rarely returns. Each year, all current recipients automatically continue receiving funds while new families enter the system. These new families then become “current recipients” with guaranteed renewal, creating an ever-expanding pool of permanent claimants on educational funding.

The program’s structure allows families to roll over up to $2,000 of unused funds annually, further entrenching the program as a long-term entitlement rather than targeted educational assistance. As this cycle continues year after year, public schools face progressively diminishing resources, especially concerning given recent school closures throughout Utah.

How This May Affect Utah’s Public Schools

School Closure Context

These changes come during a period of significant transition for Utah public schools. The Salt Lake City School District recently voted to close four elementary schools — Bennion, Hawthorne, Mary W. Jackson, and Riley — following a 29% decline in student enrollment over eight years. Similar closures are occurring across other districts, including Alpine, Granite, and Ogden.

Financial Vulnerability

Expanded vouchers may accelerate enrollment shifts that create financial challenges for public schools. The Tooele School District situation illustrates this vulnerability. When Tooele severed ties with an online school program, approximately 8,000 students transferred to another district, triggering a potential $50 million funding reduction — approximately 25% of their total budget. This demonstrates how enrollment changes can create immediate impacts on school district finances.

For communities, this could mean:

• Additional school closures in coming years
• Longer travel distances for students
• Reduced program offerings at remaining schools
• Potential staff reductions and larger class sizes

Important Considerations for Families with Neurodivergent and Disabled Children

Different Protection Standards

Families with neurodivergent or disabled children should be aware of a crucial distinction: private schools receiving voucher funds are not legally required to provide the same protections guaranteed in public schools. This includes:

• No requirement to implement IEPs (Individualized Education Programs)
• No obligation to follow Section 504 accommodations
• No guaranteed services for students with disabilities

As a family with firsthand experience navigating neurodivergence in educational settings, I’ve seen how critical legally mandated accommodations can be. While some private schools offer excellent support, others may not — and families have limited recourse when problems arise.

Questions to Ask Before Using Vouchers

If your child has learning differences or disabilities, consider asking potential private schools:

• What specific accommodations can they provide?
• What happens if your child needs additional support later?
• What is their history of serving students with similar needs?
• Do they have staff trained in special education?

Constitutional and Religious Education Considerations

For families considering religious education using voucher funds, it’s important to understand the constitutional context. Despite recent court decisions allowing such funding, some parents may have personal convictions about maintaining separation between government funding and religious education.

I personally chose to fund my child’s Catholic education directly rather than through vouchers, based on my belief in maintaining clear boundaries between government and religious institutions. Other families may reach different conclusions based on their own values and circumstances.

Understanding the Full Picture

While voucher proponents emphasize educational choice, it’s important for Utah families to understand the broader system impacts. Declining enrollment in public schools can lead to consolidation, reduced programming, and potential educational inequities. Communities should consider these systemic effects alongside individual benefits when evaluating the program.

Going Forward

As this expanded program takes effect, Utah communities should monitor its impact on educational equity, public school stability, and student outcomes. While the legislation has passed, ongoing community engagement remains vital to ensuring all Utah children receive quality education regardless of which educational setting they attend.

By understanding both the opportunities and challenges this expanded voucher program presents, Utah families can make more informed decisions about their children’s education while remaining engaged with broader community educational needs.