Lawmakers weigh cutting $54,000 subsidy to arts outreach as POPS leaders warn of lost access
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Summary
The committee considered LFA and USBE recommendations to eliminate a $54,000 subsidy program tied to the Fine Arts Outreach line item; POPS presenters and several legislators warned cuts—part of a broader 5% reduction exercise—could reduce services to tens of thousands of students, especially in rural areas.
The Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee reviewed proposals to reduce the Fine Arts Outreach line item as part of broader budget reduction plans. Kiki Hudson of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst’s Office told the committee the line item receives $6,175,000 in ongoing funding from the income tax fund, with POPS programs receiving roughly $6.1 million and a smaller subsidy program receiving $54,000. The LFA recommended eliminating the $54,000 subsidy to reduce ongoing costs.
Representatives and senators questioned what eliminating the subsidy would mean in practice. LFA staff and others said the subsidy historically supported an intermediary (described in the hearing as Arts Inc.) that arranged assembly‑style visits to schools and charged participating schools fees. Without the subsidy, the intermediary could raise fees or reduce services, potentially making access costlier for some districts.
USBE leaders—including State Board Chair Matt Heimas and Deputy Superintendent Scott Jones—told the committee the state board agreed with reducing the subsidy but preferred, where possible, to structure many recommended cuts as one‑year (FY2027) pauses. USBE said that approach would buy time for a deeper program review and that Plan 2 in the board’s materials would treat many reductions as temporary while the board reassesses priorities.
Leaders of the POPS collective urged the committee to avoid cuts that would reduce services to rural and underserved students. Michael Barr of the Utah Shakespeare Festival and Emily Larson of the Springville Museum of Art told lawmakers POPS organizations served an estimated 513,808 students and roughly 23,074 teacher experiences in 2025 and that the network consistently matches state funding at about 1:1 (and often more). They said combined reductions discussed by HUD/LFA and proposed RFA cuts could translate into tens of thousands fewer student experiences statewide.
Vice chair McPherson raised prior compliance concerns about individual providers; POPS leaders said all 15 member organizations that deliver school programming are subject to USBE vetting and that USBE staff recently found them in compliance with program rules. Committee members suggested alternatives—such as leveraging symphony rehearsals or other out‑of‑class experiences—to preserve arts exposure while reducing direct school visits.
USBE and LFA officials and legislators agreed the subsidy recommendation would not affect the core POPS programming that provides free services to schools, but they differed on whether reductions should be ongoing or time‑limited. The hearing closed the item without a recorded final tally in the provided transcript; committee deliberations were ongoing.
