The Utah State Board of Education on Friday approved a joint statement urging parents to use local channels first when raising concerns about schools and directed staff to update online links and wording before the letter is circulated to partner organizations and legislative leaders.

Board members debated two competing drafts. After rejecting a substitute motion to adopt “draft 3,” the board voted to approve “draft 2 as amended,” directing staff to: make the plural clarifications ("person(s)" and "specialist(s)"), ensure hyperlinks point to multiple parent‑engagement resources on the USBE parent portal (including a direct link to the special‑education contact), replace the word "hired" with wording to reflect existing parent‑engagement roles, and use a school‑improvement/program label where appropriate. The board agreed the statement is not a policy change but a communications piece to be shared jointly with the Utah School Boards Association (USBA) and legislative leadership if those groups also approve it.

Why it matters: The item was presented as a coordinated, three‑tier message developed with legislative leadership and the Utah School Boards Association to tell constituents there are three places to raise school issues — local school staff/LEA, the State Board (USBE), and the legislature — and to provide easier navigation to the right contact. Supporters said the statement empowers parents to pursue concerns close to the student; critics argued some language risked portraying government as prescribing how parents should engage.

What the board did and why: Chair Moss opened the discussion describing the statement as a “rolling sequence” developed after focus sessions intended to clarify where parents should take concerns. The motion ultimately approved directs staff to finalize draft 2, incorporate the board’s edits, and circulate it to the USBA and legislative leadership for their approval and possible joint signature. Chair Moss summarized the intended message as: “we hear you and here's 3 ways to get that taken care of so that your voice is heard.”

Key edits and implementation steps: Members agreed on a set of specific edits before approval:
- Make plural/clarity edits so local contact language reads “person(s)” and parent specialist language reads “specialist(s).” Member Davis argued this change reflects the reality that some LEAs and the state have multiple staff who fill engagement roles.
- Clarify hyperlinks so the letter’s parent‑portal links reach the USBE parent portal and the specific special‑education contact page (the board directed that the portal page be reviewed and fixed if necessary before the link goes live).
- Replace “hired” with wording that recognizes existing parent‑engagement positions and new ones, so the letter does not imply the roles are entirely new.
- Add a reference to the school improvement program as the label for the special‑education/school‑improvement contact area so parents can find the correct resource.

Debate highlights and concerns: Member Boggess moved a substitute (draft 3) arguing draft 2 conflicted with state public‑policy language and that the board should not partner with organizations she described as lobbyists. The Boggess substitute was seconded and discussed but failed in a roll call. Member Green and others voiced strong views: Green praised draft 3’s emphasis on parental primacy; Boggess raised procedural objections that the item had not been reviewed in committee; Member Booth and others urged collaboration and relationship building with partner organizations. Member Davis and others pressed for practical edits to ensure the portal and links would actually route parents to the right specialists.

Outcome and next steps: The board approved draft 2 as amended and directed staff to:
- Update the USBE parent portal and verify hyperlinks to the parent‑engagement and special‑education specialist pages before distribution.
- Include language that acknowledges multiple parent liaisons/engagement specialists and, where appropriate, name or link to the special‑education contact page (identified in the discussion as Susie Estrada’s program page) while avoiding employee names as the only contact to ensure longevity of the link.
- Send the finalized letter to the Utah School Boards Association and legislative leadership for their concurrence and signature as originally intended.

Votes at a glance: The board rejected a substitute motion to adopt draft 3 (mover: Member Boggess). That substitute failed; the final vote on draft 2 as amended passed by majority with one recorded no and one abstention. The board’s approval is limited to sending the letter as a communications piece; no policy or rule changes were adopted.

Context and related items: Speakers referenced Utah code in the discussion when debating the proper framing of parental responsibility and LEA obligations (transcript cites Utah code sections in the form “53E‑2‑201” and “53G‑6‑803” as they appeared in the meeting discussion). The board noted the statement does not create policy and will return to USBA and legislative leaders for their approvals before any joint release.

The meeting moved into an executive session after this item; board members said no formal action emerged from that executive session.