Arts and science outreach groups ask USBE to approve rules and inflationary adjustments for POPs and IC programs

Jayceen Craven Walker, representing Clark Planetarium, asked the Utah State Board of Education to support an "inflationary adjustment for fine arts, POPs, and science outreach IC," saying the adjustment would spare programs from annual appeals to the legislature. "If this was supported by the State Board of Education for both POTS and ICEE, this would preclude us from coming to you folks every single year and from coming to the legislature every single year to ask for a cost of living adjustment," Walker said.

Nut graf: Multiple arts and science outreach organizations urged the board to approve proposed amendments to board rules (transcript references R277444 and R277443) and to advocate for statutory language changes so POPs and IC programs can receive annual inflationary adjustments rather than seeking yearly increases. Speakers said annual adjustments would reduce administrative burden and help programs sustain outreach statewide.

Cassandra Verbruegan, executive director of SpyHawk Productions and speaking for 15 member arts organizations, said the groups support separating the two board rules and seek board approval. She said the statutory amendment would add the programs to Utah State Code language that allows cost-of-living adjustments, enabling yearly inflationary increases without repeated legislative requests. "Each year, in order to keep pace with the cost of providing high quality arts and science experiences in schools, both POPS and IC must currently appeal for increases," Verbruegan said.

Craven Walker provided budget-context numbers: she said the IC collective spent $293,000 more IC funds on outreach personnel compared with the prior year and $180,000 more from matching funds, and reiterated the statewide outreach requirement that programs cover districts over a multiyear cycle. Speakers asked to distribute a one-page outreach summary by district to board members.

Discussion vs. decision: These remarks were made during public comment. The transcript shows no formal board vote or change to the rules during the public-comment period. Speakers asked the board to approve draft rule separations (R277444 and R277443 referenced in comment) and to advocate to the legislature for statutory language changes to permit inflation adjustments.

Ending: Outreach representatives offered to provide materials and asked the board to support both rule amendments and statutory advocacy so POPs and IC can receive predictable annual funding increases without yearly legislative appeals.