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Board ponders closing schools for deaf, blind | The Salt Lake Tribune
Eliminating the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind and putting more earnings from school trust lands toward education are among ideas the state school board might soon suggest to the governor and lawmakers.
The state school board voted Friday on a list of possible cuts to discuss with state leaders, should cuts be necessary. If they are, the state board voted to first recommend slashing about $20 million from programs that include adult education, school nursing and a performance-pay pilot program for teachers, among others.
If further cuts are necessary, they voted to then consider eliminating the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (USDB), which would mean local school districts would have to provide those services to deaf and blind students.
If even more budget reductions are needed, the board voted to consider recommending that $20 million worth of interest and dividends from the permanent State School Fund, which would normally be reinvested, be used instead to fund schools. The fund is generated from trust lands throughout the state.
Board members don’t want cuts made to regional service centers which help rural districts; school busing; and a statewide K-3 reading program, among other things that might otherwise be on the chopping block.
The board plans to revisit the ideas, which were described as closer to brainstorming than solid recommendations, at its next meeting Thursday. The discussion and votes were a response to a request for input from the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget.
“We don’t like or want any of these,” said Debra Roberts, board chairwoman.
USDB superintendent Steven Noyce said eliminating USDB, which serves about 2,000 children statewide, would be a “gigantic mistake.” He said he doesn’t think that would save money as school districts would still have to serve those students.
“It’s not like the districts can absorb those costs,” Noyce said. “They don’t have the resources to start providing those services.”
Roberts said the board would have to further study the option to see if eliminating USDB would save money or not.
Eliminating the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind and putting more earnings from school trust lands toward education are among ideas the state school board might soon suggest to the governor and lawmakers.
The state school board voted Friday on a list of possible cuts to discuss with state leaders, should cuts be necessary. If they are, the state board voted to first recommend slashing about $20 million from programs that include adult education, school nursing and a performance-pay pilot program for teachers, among others.
If further cuts are necessary, they voted to then consider eliminating the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (USDB), which would mean local school districts would have to provide those services to deaf and blind students.
If even more budget reductions are needed, the board voted to consider recommending that $20 million worth of interest and dividends from the permanent State School Fund, which would normally be reinvested, be used instead to fund schools. The fund is generated from trust lands throughout the state.
Board members don’t want cuts made to regional service centers which help rural districts; school busing; and a statewide K-3 reading program, among other things that might otherwise be on the chopping block.
The board plans to revisit the ideas, which were described as closer to brainstorming than solid recommendations, at its next meeting Thursday. The discussion and votes were a response to a request for input from the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget.
“We don’t like or want any of these,” said Debra Roberts, board chairwoman.
USDB superintendent Steven Noyce said eliminating USDB, which serves about 2,000 children statewide, would be a “gigantic mistake.” He said he doesn’t think that would save money as school districts would still have to serve those students.
“It’s not like the districts can absorb those costs,” Noyce said. “They don’t have the resources to start providing those services.”
Roberts said the board would have to further study the option to see if eliminating USDB would save money or not.
