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Senate passes broad education-reform bill, adopts funding and tuition tax-credit changes
Summary
The Utah Senate approved a sweeping education-reform package (third substitute Senate Bill 154) after hours of floor debate over governance, competency-based graduation requirements and funding, including a tuition tax-credit cap set at 20%. The bill passed 59–14 and will go to the House for further consideration.
The Utah Senate passed a major education-reform measure on Feb. 24 after a full day of amendments and debate.
Senators approved the third substitute of Senate Bill 154, an omnibus bill that restructures certain state education governance processes, instructs the State Board of Education to develop competency-based objectives and progress assessments, raises some high-school graduation requirements, and creates a funding package that includes tax-rate changes and a tuition scholarship tax-credit program. Senator Tom Hatch, the bill sponsor, said the package is intended to improve student performance and make public education more productive with limited dollars. "I think this bill is an effort to try to accomplish just that," Hatch said on the Senate floor.
Why it matters: Supporters argued the bill tackles long-term structural problems — setting statewide objectives, encouraging competency-based instruction, and funding…
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