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Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind seeks staffing, transportation and classroom funding; LFA recommends returning $29.3M capital balance
Summary
Joel Coleman, superintendent of the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, told the Public Education Subcommittee that USDB has exhausted reserves after several years of enrollment and service growth and that it seeks ongoing operating increases plus authorization to proceed with classroom planning.
Joel Coleman, superintendent of the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (USDB), told the Public Education Subcommittee that USDB’s student population and service needs have risen sharply and that the agency has exhausted one‑time reserves used to meet ongoing requirements.
Coleman said USDB served 2,662 students in the previous fiscal year and that campus students rose about 29% since 2017 while outreach students rose about 59% over the same period. He highlighted steep increases in interpreting and audiological services and said USDB must transport campus students curb‑to‑curb, a federal requirement that drives transportation costs.
Ben Leishman (LFA) recommended returning $29.3 million appropriated one‑time in 2023 for USDB capital facilities back to the public education stabilization account so the legislature could reallocate the funds after clarifying operational and facility requirements. Leishman noted several studies and a legislative audit that raised questions about scope, cost per student, student counts and whether a multi‑campus model is the most cost‑effective approach.
USDB officials urged the committee to retain the 2022 capital appropriation and to advance planning and construction for additional classroom space. Joel Coleman described inadequate campus facilities — a flooded house used as temporary space, mold, HVAC failures and insufficient restroom capacity — and said local contingency reserves were exhausted after several years of using carryforward dollars to meet ongoing staffing needs. Leanne Wood, vice chair of the State Board of Education, described a board decision to form a USDB standing committee to dig into finances, transportation and outreach.
USDB and the board presented legislative requests the board approved: $1,130,000 to maintain current staffing levels; $685,000 for partial paraprofessional benefits to recruit and retain staff; $2,120,000 for campus and outreach growth; $2,000,000 ongoing for transportation; and the board asked the legislature to retain the 2022 capital appropriation to begin planning, design and construction for classroom space.
Nut graf: USDB officials said sustained enrollment and increased service complexity (multiple disabilities, audiology and interpreting needs) are creating structural operating and facilities shortfalls; the LFA advised returning the one‑time capital balance until scope and alternatives are clarified, while USDB and the State Board urged retaining funds to begin construction planning and to meet immediate service needs.
Committee members asked about per‑student cost comparisons, the charter origins of some programs (Jean Mathieu School) and the role of local LEAs in funding services. Leishman flagged the board’s 3% rule (districts enrolling more than 3% of statewide students pay for USDB services) as unresolved policy that affects cost allocation. The committee requested further analysis on operational models, student funding and oversight before final appropriation action.
