House approves $99,000 for SUU environmental literacy curriculum after amendment

The Utah House on the floor approved amended House Bill 54 to appropriate $99,000 from the general fund to Southern Utah University to support the Cedar Mountain Science Center’s environmental-education program.

Sponsor Representative Dennis Iverson told colleagues the appropriation will fund curriculum development, teacher professional development, pilot programs for middle schools and a residential summer science camp. “The university shall… report its findings together with recommendations regarding ongoing funding to a legislative education interim committee prior to 11/30/1999,” Iverson said while explaining the bill’s conditions.

Representative Fife moved an amendment that would require any curriculum developed at the Center to be reviewed and approved by the State Board of Education before use in public schools. The amendment prompted questions about whether existing textbooks would need additional approval and how textbook adoption procedures interact with the state board’s review processes. After debate and a brief defeat of an initial amendment vote on the floor, members reconsidered and adopted language to clarify review and dissemination procedures. The House then passed the bill as amended on a recorded vote of 61 yes and 9 no; the bill will be referred to the Senate.

The measure directs SUU to monitor programming and to provide professional development for teachers so that environmental education can be integrated into upper elementary and middle-school curricula. It also authorizes the Center to pilot residential science experiences for students and requires that the Center report back to the Legislature by Nov. 30, 1999.

Next steps: HB 54, as amended, will be transmitted to the Senate for consideration.