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Subcommittee reviews Statewide Online Education Program; funding split and providers summarized
Summary
LFA staff briefed the committee on the Statewide Online Education Program (SOEP) which serves grades 6——12, covers private, home and small-district participation, and in 2024 received $4.9 million from the stabilization account; SB45 (2024) expanded access to sixth graders.
The Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee received a staff briefing on the Statewide Online Education Program (SOEP) on Jan. 30, 2025. Kiki Hudson of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst's Office summarized program eligibility and funding.
SOEP provides online courses for students in grades six through 12; eligible students include those enrolled in public, private or home schools in Utah and foreign-exchange students attending Utah schools. Students apply through SEATs (the student enrollment and tracking system) and may receive tuition-funded credits through one of the program's approved providers. Students generally may take up to six online credits per year, with exceptions granted by local education agencies.
Hudson said the legislature created a dedicated SOEP line item in 2021 and split the appropriation into three programs in 2023: a home/private-school program, a small-high-school support program, and an administrative program for operations. Providers approved to deliver SOEP courses include ASU Prep Digital, Canyons Virtual Academy, Davis Connect, Mountain Heights Academy, Utah Online School, and Utah Virtual Academy.
For FY24, Hudson said SOEP received $4.9 million from the public education economic stabilization restricted account to support the home/private and small-high-school programs; SB45 (2024) expanded sixth-grade access and accounted for approximately $1.7 million of program costs.
Why it matters: SOEP expands course access for students statewide and channels per-pupil funding for online credit to approved providers; the 2024 stabilization funding and SB45 expansion materially increased program funding and scope.
Next steps: The State Board of Education was not presenting in person during this segment but is available to answer committee questions; no new SOEP funding requests were recorded during the briefing.
