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Senate approves amended bill to add IB courses to Regents scholarship weighting after heated debate
Summary
After several floor amendments and extended debate over whether International Baccalaureate (IB) should be named in statute, the Utah Senate passed an amended Senate Bill 100 to allow IB courses to be weighted alongside AP and concurrent-enrollment courses for Regents scholarship consideration; final passage was recorded as 21–7–1.
The Utah Senate on Feb. 14 approved an amended Senate Bill 100 that adds International Baccalaureate courses to the list of academically rigorous classes eligible for extra weighting when awarding Regents scholarships.
Sponsor Senator Jay Stevenson told colleagues the bill simply recognizes IB alongside Advanced Placement and concurrent-enrollment courses for purposes of weighting college-credit coursework. “This just simply adds IB to the list,” Stevenson said in floor remarks, noting universities in Utah accept IB credit.
Senator John Valentine and others pressed multiple floor amendments that would remove or alter explicit IB language, arguing the program is costly and not equally available statewide. “My purpose of stripping it out is not...it’s not available to all,” Valentine said, urging that IB not receive statutory preference because access varies by district.
Supporters, including Senator Dayton and Senator Jones, countered that weighting IB equally rewards academic rigor and benefits students who have completed a demanding program. “These are programs so that students can do something a bit above and beyond,” Jones said in support.
Much of the debate focused on whether naming a private, international program in code was appropriate and whether doing so would inadvertently alter other scholarship language. Senator Dayton, who helped draft the original amendment, warned of drafting pitfalls and said the bill’s drafters could preserve the Regents scholarships while addressing IB specifics.
Senators also discussed procedural motions to divide and reinstate earlier language; after amendments were considered the chamber recorded the final passage. The clerk announced the bill passed, as amended, with the recorded result shown on the floor as 21 yay, 7 nay and 1 absent.
The bill now goes to the House for further consideration. The Senate’s exchanges were heavy on technical questions about curriculum review and the mechanics by which courses receive weight; proponents stressed that courses would be reviewed by regional designees in the same way AP and concurrent-enrollment courses are currently vetted.
Next steps: the House will receive the amended SB 100 and may take up the measure for its consideration.
