The Utah State Board of Educations committee that oversees the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind on Monday voted unanimously to postpone consideration of administrative rule R277-800 until after the upcoming legislative session and to publish a public explanation of the interim leadership structure.

Cindy Davis moved the substitute motion, saying the committee should "postpone until after the legislative session, with a recommendation that a message be put online explaining what our current process is." The motion passed unanimously.

Interim Superintendent Nelson told the committee the proposed edits to Section 3 of the rule were intended to align written policy with current practice in light of recent interim leadership arrangements. Nelson said the changes were primarily technical and meant to reduce misalignment between practice and the rule.

Parents who spoke during public comment urged clarity and protections for specialized deaf and blind services. Roberta Dunlap, a mother of two deaf children, said the superintendent "should provide statewide services and have that expertise and leadership, not just directly responding to the state superintendent," and asked that appointment processes be "fair and transparent and inclusive." Brooke Grassinger, a deaf parent, said campus-based deaf programs give students "full access" and leadership opportunities that mainstream placement often does not.

Vice Chair Randy Booth said he "resonates" with calls to wait but also supported clearer communication during the interim, noting the value of keeping stakeholders informed as decisions develop.

The committee directed staff to place a consistent explanation of the interim structure and the process for selecting permanent leaders on both the USBE and USDB websites. Because the item was postponed, the rule will next go to the full board in January and then enter the administrative rules waiting period, which can delay an effective date into February depending on timelines and any requests for hearings.

Next steps: the committees postponement sends R277-800 back for consideration after the legislative session; staff will publish the explanatory message and the rule may be revisited if statutory changes from the legislature require different language.