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House approves substitute to let some charter schools prioritize refugee and English-learner students
Summary
Lawmakers passed a first substitute to House Bill 441, allowing charter schools that explicitly list refugee or English-learner objectives in their charters to give preference in their lottery to maintain program-specific FTEs; the measure passed 64–0 and moves to the Senate.
The Utah House unanimously approved a first substitute to House Bill 441, which narrows the bill to allow certain charter schools to give lottery preference so program-specific seats remain filled.
Representative McCabe, who sponsored the substitute, said the change makes the bill "much narrower than it was" and enables charters that list outreach to refugee families or English-language learners in their charter documents to "make a preference in their lottery" to preserve full capacity for those programs. McCabe told colleagues the intent is to prevent program-specific full-time-equivalent (FTE) slots from being lost when targeted students leave and are replaced in the general lottery by students who don't meet the charter's specialized purpose.
Several members rose in support. Representative Dott said the substitute addressed earlier concerns and supported the bill for allowing specialized charters to serve their stated purposes. Representatives Wright and Watkins also expressed support, describing the changes as accommodating the sponsor's intent. Following summation, the House recorded a 64–0 vote in favor and the bill will be transmitted to the Senate.
The debate centered on preserving program capacity in charters with narrowly defined missions, not on broader changes to charter oversight.
