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House votes to replace school letter grades with multi‑indicator dashboard
Summary
The House approved HB 241 to discontinue single-letter school grades and require a multifaceted accountability dashboard; supporters said it will better reflect school performance, opponents warned about shifting criteria and implementation. Vote: 54–18.
The Utah House approved House Bill 241 on Feb. 24, directing the State Board of Education to replace single-letter grades with a dashboard system using multiple indicators and an overall rating. The bill passed 54–18 and will be transmitted to the Senate.
Representative Polson, the sponsor, said the measure addresses long-standing concerns that single-letter grades unfairly reflected community affluence rather than school performance and limited the ability of schools to present a broader curriculum: "This school may have excellent art, music, athletic, AP, AP, or IB offerings... and still really received low grades according to our school grading criteria," he said, arguing that the dashboard will give parents and educators a fuller picture.
Supporters — including several representatives who described local experiences of schools being downgraded due to statewide curves and testing idiosyncrasies — said the change would reduce the stigma for rural and high-needs schools and help retain teachers. Opponents cautioned that shifting metrics and insufficient evidence that the new system will improve outcomes require careful implementation and clear metrics.
The House concluded debate, opened the vote and approved HB 241 by 54–18. The bill is now referred to the Senate.
