USDB committee forwards $59.5 million FY2026 budget to board, asks for LEA‑cost scenarios

The USDB budget committee voted unanimously to forward the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind FY2026 spending plan to the full State Board of Education, approving a $59.5 million appropriation and asking staff to produce scenarios that would shift either 25% or 50% of USDB costs to local education agencies for board review.

The request for alternate scenarios followed an extended briefing on state budget tracking tools and a detailed discussion of carryforward balances and proposed reductions. Ben Leishman, Legislative Fiscal Analyst, and USDB staff described how a combination of accounting estimates, unspent one‑time funds and added personnel have shaped the agency’s current finances.

Why it matters: committee members warned that the package of proposed reductions — roughly $5.8 million identified in preliminary budget work — could force the agency to reduce personnel and services that carry Individualized Education Program (IEP) obligations for students who are deaf, blind or deafblind. Board members pressed for clearer carryforward figures and for options that would allow the board to evaluate tradeoffs before final approval.

Ben Leishman, legislative fiscal analyst for education, walked committee members through the Legislature’s Compendium of Budget Information, known as COBI, and how it displays sources of finance and…