The Utah State Board of Education on a recorded vote approved fiscal‑year 2026 enrichment budget items for the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (USDB) limited to family activity support and LEA activity support, while asking the advisory council to reevaluate several proposed blind‑school items after stakeholder feedback.

Assistant Superintendent of Operations Deborah Jacobson told the board the enrichment recommendations had been through the advisory council but that “after posting and stakeholder feedback” the agency wanted to pull some items back for additional information. Jacobson said the primary concern involved proposed salary line items funded from the blind school land trust and that the agency wanted “to make sure that the positions that we are requesting are put in here actually benefit the trust.”

Board members debated whether the items should first be vetted by the USDB standing committee. Member Carrie (Chair’s record), who opposed the motion, said her objection was procedural: she preferred that the items be reviewed by the standing committee “so that there’s that additional level of reassurance” from members familiar with USDB budgets. Vice Chair Wood and other members urged approving the LEA‑and family‑activity grants because they were already set up as grant programs and were beginning to receive requests.

Member Earl moved to approve the FY‑26 USDB family and LEA activity support enrichment budget items; the motion carried 10–2. Members Carrie and Brinton recorded “no” votes; three members were absent. Jacobson said the agency will take the pulled blind‑school items back to the advisory council with more detail before seeking board action.

Why it matters: the board’s action allows USDB to begin distributing grants designed to support outreach and family activities across the state while deferring budget decisions that stakeholders and staff believe need more analysis — notably whether trust funds should be used for salaries. Stakeholder advocates at the meeting, including a parent who described her daughter’s outdoor recreation accommodations, urged that enrichment funds be applied in ways that sustain community‑led programming statewide.

Key speakers: Deborah Jacobson, assistant superintendent of operations (USBE); Associate Superintendent Patton (USDB); Member Earl (mover); Member Carrie (opposed); Member Brinton (opposed); Vice Chair Wood.

Clarifying details: the items withdrawn for further review were described as the bottom five blind‑side projects on the agency spreadsheet; the board explicitly approved only the LEA activity and family activity support items at this session. Jacobson said the funds originate from the blind school land trust and that the USBE advisory council has set a guideline limiting the percentage of trust money that should be used for salaries.

Provenance (transcript evidence): topic introduction — Deborah Jacobson: “Good afternoon. Deborah Jacobson, assistant superintendent of operations.” (tc 00:08:04); topic finish — vote and tally: “That passes 10 in favor. 2 opposed.” (tc 00:24:54).