State board approves contingency budget for Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind; allows limited outreach charges to districts

The Utah State Board of Education on Thursday approved a contingency FY2026 budget for the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind that includes authority for USDB to bill districts for outreach services “as necessary” to preserve essential staff and services.

Board members voted 11–2 to accept the USDB regular budget while authorizing the agency to seek additional revenue from local education agencies for outreach work; the board also unanimously approved a separate FY2026 enrichment fund budget.

The board and USDB officials described the action as a short-term step to keep specialized teachers and services in place while a working group of stakeholders develops longer-term funding solutions. USDB staff warned the board the agency faces a roughly $5.8 million shortfall under current appropriations and that, without additional revenue, USDB would need to eliminate roughly 53 positions across the agency. About 23 of those positions are currently vacant, USDB’s finance manager told the board.

USDB Finance Manager Vicky Summers told the board that preliminary closeout figures for FY2025 show the agency could finish the year very close to balanced, but the agency still faces a material gap going into FY2026. She provided the board a summary of USDB fund balances: the enrichment fund balance was about $802,000, donated funds $276,000 and the education foundation roughly $1.2 million as of April 30, 2025.

Deputy Superintendent Scott Jones, who leads operations and finance work for USBE, told the board the agency must budget to its appropriation and that authorizing USDB to charge districts does not create additional appropriation automatically. If USDB collects fees beyond the modest dedicated credit that the Legislature previously authorized, the agency would need additional legislative approval (a supplemental appropriation or an increased dedicated-credit limit) to recognize larger amounts in its budget.

Board members debated how to balance the urgent need to avoid layoffs of specialized staff with concerns about asking small districts to shoulder additional costs. Several board members said they preferred the agency and a new stakeholder working group to finalize how any outreach charges would be applied (for example, by sliding scale or minimum invoice thresholds) before billing begins. Other members said USDB needed the ability now to seek district contributions to avoid cuts while the working group develops a long-term solution.

After discussion, the board approved the following by roll call: - Adopted the FY2026 USDB operating budget and explicitly authorized USDB to charge outreach services “as necessary” to maintain a balanced FY2026 budget (vote 11–2). Board minutes record the motion passed and that USDB staff will report back on implementation details and will work with the legislatively required working group. - Adopted the FY2026 USDB enrichment activities budget (unanimous vote).

Board members and staff emphasized the action is intended as a time-limited, contingency measure. Deputy Superintendent Jones said USDB will continue working with the new stakeholder working group — composed of board members, district leaders and legislative staff — to refine billing rules, minimize administrative overhead for small districts, and pursue a sustainable funding path. Jones said any larger or longer-term recognition of outreach fee revenue in USDB’s budget would require further legislative action.

Board members pressed USDB staff on implementation details, including whether low-dollar invoices would be practical to pursue and how the agency would avoid disrupting IEP-mandated services (the board was repeatedly told special-education services must be met; the question is which entity provides them). USDB officials said districts remain ultimately responsible for providing required services under federal and state law, but many districts rely on USDB staff because of the specialized expertise required.

The board also approved a slate of related USDB items earlier in the same meeting, including routine enrichment-program allocations and administrative items supporting USDB operations, and scheduled the newly formed working group to meet immediately to hash out operational details.

Why it matters: USDB provides specialist instruction and outreach to students who are deaf, blind or have combined hearing/vision loss. Those services require highly credentialed itinerant teachers and therapists who are difficult to hire and hard to replace. Losing those positions would reduce access to specialized services and force districts or families to scramble for replacements. The board’s limited authorization to seek district contributions is a short-term approach intended to blunt layoffs while stakeholders work on a longer-term legislative solution.

What’s next: USDB staff and the working group will return to the board with implementation details, including proposed minimum invoice thresholds, proposed sliding-scale rules, and an operational plan for billing and for ensuring no interruption to IEP services. The board asked staff to return with monthly updates on budget closeout and on fee implementation planning.