Committee weighs closing IT Academy, cutting early‑literacy software and other tech contracts

The Public Education Appropriations Committee reviewed a package of proposed reductions for the Statewide Technology Contracts line item, which was created in 2025 to consolidate technology‑related contracts administered by the Utah State Board of Education.

Kiki Hudson told the committee the FY27 base for the line item is $22.9 million and detailed multiple LFA recommendations: a $100,000 ongoing reduction for elementary reading assessment software tools; a $500,000 ongoing reduction to discontinue the IT Academy; and a $10,753,300 ongoing recommendation to discontinue the software licenses for early literacy, which LFA said was driven by variation in vendor expectations and unsatisfactory student usage and outcomes.

“The key challenge within this program was the significant variation across the 15 vendors of literacy software for students,” Hudson said, noting reported usage gaps and inconsistent or missing vendor data that limited outcome evaluation. Data from the interim showed 43% of students met full vendor‑recommended usage levels, with another 15% meeting roughly 80% of recommendations.

Committee members asked whether non‑lapsing balances were caused by canceled contracts or vendor timing; staff said imbalances often reflect timing—services sometimes begin several months into the fiscal year—and that the state board pursues vendors who meet program requirements. Representative Auxier asked the board to engage LEAs before any cuts, and Representative Moss pressed whether teachers evaluate and rank the tools; staff said LEAs opt into the programs and local practice varies.

Matt Hymas of the State Board clarified a nuance on the IT Academy: while study resources for Microsoft are free, certification exams still carry a cost. He also described the IT Academy as multiple‑vendor: “This program, the IT Academy, is multiple source—Microsoft, Adobe, all other things too,” Hymas said, noting the Adobe contract is separate from the IT Academy operations.

The software‑licenses recommendation was the largest proposed cut; USBE and LFA both described the recommendation as a full discontinuation because of implementation variation and limited demonstrated student outcomes. Staff suggested some of the one‑time computer‑science adjustments are intended to realign funding with actual utilization without ending programs entirely.

No final appropriation decisions were made in the presentation; the committee signaled it wanted additional LEA feedback and detailed spending histories before acting on sizable ongoing reductions.