[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6307024,"mediaKeyId","2435507-1b319e83c646da0ac0eebd6df4ef14c3","parentId",2435507,"title","House panel advances bill to bar school governance agreements used in Salt Lake City district","audioSeconds",1299,"startMs",2923000,"endMs",1624000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2435507-1b319e83c646da0ac0eebd6df4ef14c3&start=2923&end=1624","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2435507-1b319e83c646da0ac0eebd6df4ef14c3/thumbnail_2923000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6307024/Utah/House-panel-advances-bill-to-bar-school-governance-agreements-used-in-Salt-Lake-City-district","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6307024-03eb216ef36663336cac4dd184d20295/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162957&Signature=KTSuu3NtPToQZco6V4IQfFmmFUkDbzpem2XsTpI9YzAKPjOB-T69L70SnecKqbX8mWS3vR7aHg9iFxKWO0FfYsUVdU~1PY2o-o65YPr5ZEiy5uNqf~1YOwqhwg9Qy29B3CUDnj2OCOcKd1yn4E6k2iJmLasRuCib03ixX5Z872adX9jphfK0~A6bY-o5U~t6l1bl2bnmi27HoFT8AS1AnbEFpr1Ta4by3-L27P8LY36iisznOne3zu7pzP4qYL1U9V~GFVZakRX8CrCrHh1MLwmZxcC7pO3D65pxyUwCXpIJ8Fr2Z~dgYnCg2kaJTKggBEX3v02suMj2-Q5kJD1DHg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Utah State Legislature","date","2025-02-27T00:00:00Z","article","Rep. Suzanne Peterson, sponsor of House Bill 545, told the House Education Committee the measure responds to two legislative performance audits of the Salt Lake City School District and ongoing concerns about that district’s shared governance agreement.

\"There was a follow-up audit related to this issue,\" Rep. Peterson said, noting audits from 2022 and 2024 and adding that the bill is intended to address the district’s shared governance model. \"It just says basically that a school district may not enter into or renew an agreement with a private association that delegates their decision making authority or governance, and that they can't delegate decision making authority or governance to a council or committee at a school.\"

The bill targets the district’s written agreements with its teachers’ association that create school improvement or shared governance councils with decision authority at the site level. Peterson described several problems cited in the audits and by parents and principals: scheduling changes at the school level that disrupted bus runs, reduced instructional hours at one high school, limits on principals’ ability to set professional learning for staff, and local councils overriding district policies. She said, for example, a schedule change at Bryant Elementary caused about 165 West High students to wait an additional 30 minutes for bus pickup each day, equating to roughly 70 extra hours a year.

The measure includes exceptions for ordinary principal duties (for example spending of trust lands funds and TSSA money). Peterson said the bill was drafted to avoid unintentionally capturing other collaborative arrangements such as PTAs, joint leadership councils or agreements with charter schools; the committee adopted an amendment clarifying charter‑school language.

Opponents and public commenters urged caution. Mike Harmon, president of the Salt Lake Education Association, told the committee the bill \"really doesn't change our relationship with the district as we have recognized the authority of our school boards\" but warned of unintended conflicts with other legal arrangements and cited \"state code 534402\" and the school board association's joint leadership council as potential touchpoints. Tom Henriot, a parent, and other parents described experiences where school improvement councils or other bodies overrode local consensus and where transparency and accountability were lacking.

Committee members pressed the sponsor on local control and on whether the bill would erode teachers' voices. Peterson said she supports teacher input and credited other collaborative district models across the state, but argued that the shared governance structure in Salt Lake City had produced confusion about accountability and inconsistent districtwide policy enforcement. She said the legislature routinely sets government structures and leaves implementation to local boards.

The committee adopted Amendment 1 to clarify treatment of charter school agreements. It then voted to favorably recommend HB 545 as amended out of committee. The committee recorded the final committee tally as 11 votes in favor and 2 opposed; Representatives Karen Moss and Jenifer Hayes registered no votes.

What’s next: HB 545 was advanced from committee as amended and will move to the House floor for further consideration.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Education Committee - February 27, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Rep. Suzanne Peterson said HB 545 responds to two audits and ongoing concerns about Salt Lake City School District’s shared governance model.","taxTitle","2025 Utah Legislature, Utah Legislature, Utah Legislative Branch, Utah","taxId",78171,"location","Utah","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6307019,"Panel approves bill to codify seclusion and restraint rules, add reporting and immediate parent notification",2530,3998000,6528000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2435507-1b319e83c646da0ac0eebd6df4ef14c3&start=3998&end=6528","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2435507-1b319e83c646da0ac0eebd6df4ef14c3/thumbnail_3998000.jpg","/articles/6307019/Utah/Panel-approves-bill-to-codify-seclusion-and-restraint-rules-add-reporting-and-immediate-parent-notification","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6307019-e9eebe6b26374092873df3df48b86fe1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162957&Signature=BjtXp4X0t2nbSsI6R83RLwP73nx2NjEXy01jAwNb4dUu65Lq4~q7bzcSoXWQ0ZMEic2b5z-HodWYpN7wydqvwyQ1ALnHq9frnmAPE3fUYIAhv~maXLxgf~qX5JmIAaT45dghyS0f6c0uPjZ3tssrCnmCow~LZ9qfjq9dbAiljgX2iwRbXNKQ9gFqErqnMsVRjOec8sZWVGrFWZGkHhfk7hZn9IX8rCrFpcNbb4E7wZ92fi9kVr73GZDMbClphmHZLxBkVwYsr2ZrFR6VKMhNA5hKD3S0wRnLV2F9JqOKKDcbebv3RlxFzsHOmL-s12oz4tU7zZjKv7iOfRvi1sFDXw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sen. Luz Escamilla, sponsor of Senate Bill 170, told the House Education Committee the bill responds to parental concerns and media reports about use of seclusion rooms and physical restraints in K‑12 schools across the state.

\"We use a definition of seclusion that was passed in 2021,\" Sen. Escamilla said, referencing definitions incorporated from prior legislation and explaining the bill \"creates a process to get us to potentially physical restraint or seclusion in situations where there's an emergency\" and places seclusion and restraint as last‑resort emergency safety interventions.

Escamilla said the measure pulls definitions and policy language into state statute, requires training for staff who may use emergency interventions, and requires that parents be notified when an emergency intervention occurs. During committee debate members asked for stricter notification timing and limits. Committee members and the sponsor agreed to amendments requiring immediate attempts to notify parents (rather than notification only after 24 hours) and clarifying training and reporting requirements.

The deputy superintendent for the Utah State Board of Education, Leah Voorhees, told the committee existing board rule already requires immediate parent notification and a 30‑minute limit in many cases; she described board practice as requiring notification and said board rules limit use of seclusion and restraint to emergency safety interventions and forbid seclusion or restraint as general discipline.

Advocates for prohibition argued seclusion and restraint are overused against students with disabilities. Nate Krippas of the Disability Law Center said the center believes the practice should be prohibited, while other witnesses — including former educators and school officials — said trained interventions can be a necessary last resort for safety and to de‑escalate certain students. Witnesses suggested recording interventions and improving staff training and alternative strategies so incidents rarely escalate to seclusion or restraint.

The committee adopted Amendment 1 and House Amendment 2, the latter requiring immediate attempts to notify parents and clarifying reporting and limits provisions. By voice and recorded consensus the committee favorably recommended the bill as amended.

What’s next: SB 170 was reported favorably out of committee as amended and will proceed to the House floor for further consideration. The bill directs the State Board and local education agencies to follow the statutory framework and to collect and report intervention data to the state.","Sen. Luz Escamilla said SB 170 codifies emergency safety intervention definitions and reporting requirements and that seclusion and restraint must be last resorts.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6307015,"House Education Committee advances transparency, fee‑waiver and district‑split bills; substitute and amendments adopted",2463,1625000,4088000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2435507-1b319e83c646da0ac0eebd6df4ef14c3&start=1625&end=4088","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2435507-1b319e83c646da0ac0eebd6df4ef14c3/thumbnail_1625000.jpg","/articles/6307015/Utah/House-Education-Committee-advances-transparency-feewaiver-and-districtsplit-bills-substitute-and-amendments-adopted","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6307015-99cb025f38b7baa68e357dc470414d37/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162957&Signature=LGe5iGpPX8MOUUYYVa6lYU-gmBTDp8vGHNTVVb8mrQz0OVo26qNvaOeePTE1Y5JMi9kBjJtTYBHnlRRaTsPO60h4EKTWDfsYo7bjyk~tcV6V5HlB4YSiGDQ2yxYtO9jkd63cSSII7soo7o~Gsvn5IE1CLabVoWJbY4OcH3HnDSqjELCPb8jr7TuBsy7RLJTd~wDaRgAhX0jbKIlU7TqLHL6Z75fx8ffvx27DDhWhjlXgRxKMZjhZt7vZlRUqQrRO-PQk8N2i-vnAi8LZats~7mL7G42wzIa343AOmQ~UdrAdPbIIQWVL3qCpdTOefxKCQu4Z8pUqNVUkdiTD-Sgh4g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A set of bills with procedural and operational changes for school districts moved through the House Education Committee during the hearing.

Representative Brooks presented HB 453, a bill that sets transparency standards for local school boards. Brooks said the bill was shortened in committee to focus on a single requirement: boards must provide board members with contracts five days before a vote so members have time to review them. The committee adopted a substitute and later approved the substitute; a roll call recorded multiple yes and no votes, and the committee reported the substitute favorably.

Representative Welton presented HB 397, school fee waiver amendments, which clarifies how fee waivers for low‑income students apply to multi‑night school trips. Welton said the amended bill permits a fee waiver to cover one qualifying multi‑night trip, allows a second such trip with principal approval and an action plan, and requires students seeking additional fee waivers to pursue fundraising or other supports. The committee adopted two house amendments and passed HB 397 as amended unanimously.

Representative Grisham (joined by Alpine School Board member Julie King) spoke to SB 188, a multi‑section bill that addresses the Alpine School District split: transition funding, asset and debt allocation, record sharing, bonding timelines, and reimbursement to municipalities for certain legal and mapping costs. The committee adopted the fourth substitute and additional technical amendments that increase employee protection timelines, clarify loan and bond proceeds allocation and permit retroactive use of a recently failed bond in certain geographic areas. The committee favorably recommended the fourth substitute as amended.

Votes at a glance:
- HB 453 (school board transparency): committee adopted first substitute and later passed the substitute; roll‑call recorded (names listed in committee transcript). Substitute adopted; reported favorably.
- HB 397 (school fee waiver amendments): two house amendments adopted; committee passed bill as amended unanimously.
- SB 188 (fourth substitute, school district modifications — Alpine split): fourth substitute adopted; committee adopted technical amendments and reported bill favorably.

The committee paused public comment for some of these bills because earlier hearings had taken testimony; several associations (Utah School Superintendents Association, Utah School Boards Association) and local officials submitted comments and worked with sponsors on amendments.

What’s next: All three measures were reported favorably from committee and will proceed to the House floor for further action.","The House Education Committee advanced three operational bills: board transparency (HB 453), school fee waiver limits (HB 397) and school district split rules (SB 188).","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

House panel advances bill to bar school governance agreements used in Salt Lake City district

Panel approves bill to codify seclusion and restraint rules, add reporting and immediate parent notification

House Education Committee advances transparency, fee‑waiver and district‑split bills; substitute and amendments adopted