SALT LAKE CITY — Quinn Kellis, lead administrator for the Statewide Online Education Program (SOEP), told the finance committee that recent legislation directs home and private school student participation in online coursework to transition from USBE‑managed SOEP to a contractor by April 1, 2025.

Kellis said staff are drafting a request for proposals and that several policy issues remain to be resolved before the handoff. Among the items Kellis flagged are hybrid delivery and membership questions, whether providers may operate hybrid classrooms that also function as private schools, and how payments to providers and classroom teachers should be structured.

“By 04/01/2025, home and private will be transferred out of SOEP and into the hands of a private contractor,” Kellis said, and he described audit findings and statutory gaps staff expect to address in rule drafting. Kellis also identified other policy questions for public‑school students using SOEP — including membership rules, a six‑credit limit per term for SOEP enrollment, and whether LEAs may require physical attendance when a SOAP course is part of a student’s membership.

Nut graf: The transfer means USBE staff must draft rules and a contracting model for how a private contractor will administer home/private student coursework while preserving accountability and clarity for providers, LEAs and families. Kellis told the committee that legislative language is limited in detailing contractor roles, so rule development and contract design will shape implementation.

Next steps: USBE staff are drafting the contractor RFP and rule language. Committee members asked staff to clarify legislative expectations and to identify areas where USBE should retain oversight to protect public accountability for publicly funded courses.

Sources: Remarks by Quinn Kellis, SOEP lead administrator, during the USBE Finance Committee meeting on Sept. 22, 2024.