Senate advances bill letting districts withhold official grade reports to recover school property damages

Senate Bill 38, a measure to let school districts withhold an official written grade report when a student is financially responsible for lost or willfully damaged school property, advanced in the Utah Senate and was placed on the third-reading calendar. The measure, introduced in the education committee and presented to the chamber with a committee amendment, drew backing from the bill sponsor and the committee chair.

“Any school district whose property has been lost or willfully cut, defaced, or otherwise injured may withhold the issuance of official written grade report ... until the student or the student's parent or guardian has paid for that damages,” the sponsor explained during floor remarks. The sponsor said the bill’s language aims to make districts able to secure payment while preserving mechanisms for families who cannot pay.

The bill includes a provision that requires a school district that cannot collect payment to provide a voluntary work program allowing the student to perform defined work in lieu of payment. The sponsor described that as a protection to avoid making families solely financially liable while maintaining accountability.

Supporters on the floor emphasized parental responsibility and the need for local flexibility; there were no recorded substantive amendments during floor discussion. The education committee chair moved adoption of the committee report, and the chamber agreed to place SB 38 on the third-reading calendar by roll call.

The next procedural step is third reading, when senators will vote on final passage. The committee report and amendment language clarify that the district retains discretion over alternatives and work programs for students unable to pay.