The Utah State Board of Education approved a package of actions recommended from its USDB standing committee, adopting several policies and program authorizations for the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (USDB).

On committee recommendation, the board approved USDB as an authorized APLE sponsor for deaf education (birth through age 22) and authorized implementation under Utah Code 53E‑6‑306 and rules R277‑303 and R277‑304. The motion passed unanimously with two members absent.

The board then approved USDB positive behavior plans for multiple schools (JMS, KBS, EDS, SUSD online, and the Utah School for the Blind) on second and final reading; that motion passed with 12 votes in favor, one abstention (Member Carrie) and two absences.

The board approved on first reading a USDB policy on paid professional hours to educators, adopting an amendment to remove specific year dates so the policy refers to payments following the appropriate payroll cycles rather than hardcoded calendar dates. The substitute amendment passed and the amended first reading moved forward unanimously.

The board approved the USDB bullying, cyberbullying, hazing and retaliation policy on second and final reading unanimously, and approved the USDB artificial intelligence (AI) use policy (draft 2) on second and final reading; the AI policy passed 12 in favor with one abstention (Member Carrie).

Why it matters: the actions update USDB’s operational policies and program authorizations across student behavior interventions, educator compensation timing, and AI usage, and they authorize a program sponsorship that affects service delivery for deaf education Birth–22.

Provenance (transcript evidence): Apple sponsor motion introduced by Chair Wood (tc 01:05:42); positive behavior plans and votes (tc 01:06:55); paid professional hours amendment and vote (tc 01:08:33); bullying policy (tc 01:09:35); AI use policy vote (tc 01:17:26).