Hutchinson and Nuttle outline competing visions for State School Board District 11 at UCRP forum

Terry Hutchinson and Tracy Nuttle, the Republican candidates for State School Board District 11, laid out competing priorities and similar commitments to parental input during a Utah County Republican Party Zoom forum on Wednesday.

Hutchinson, a former Washington County school board member and attorney, framed his candidacy around coalition-building, local control and student safety. "I want to help the [state board] support local boards more effectively by providing them tools to represent their community values while protecting and emphasizing parents rights, student safety, and focusing the curriculum towards better student success," he said. Tracy Nuttle, an education attorney and former legislative staffer, emphasized legislative and statutory expertise and said she would prioritize process improvements and stronger relations between the board and the Legislature.

The candidates agreed on several practical points while differing in emphasis. Both said they support parent involvement and local decision-making on sensitive issues such as transgender student access to facilities and activities, but Hutchinson said he favors firm safeguards — including parent permission and separate accommodations when necessary — and described student safety as a "red line." Nuttle said she supports local control and noted the Legislature has already addressed some aspects of transgender policy.

On classroom content, Hutchinson and Nuttle agreed that school districts should remove materials that clearly meet statutory definitions of pornography and said schools need time and procedures to review other challenged books. Nuttle told delegates she would give districts "a year or two" to cycle through materials and adjust policies; Hutchinson distinguished immediate removals for bright-line violations from committee reviews that can take longer.

Both candidates signaled support for school-choice programs that follow students with public dollars, while insisting on accountability. "If they're accepting taxpayer dollars, then we have to start thinking about do we need accountability here?" Nuttle said, adding assessments and fiscal rules should ensure learning and proper use of funds.

The forum also touched on textbooks and standards. The moderator noted the State Board of Education approved new science standards on an 8–7 vote that some say present a single perspective on climate change; both candidates said a close vote merited further review and favored teaching multiple viewpoints until delegates had more detail on the specific standard.

On the role of the U.S. Department of Education and federal funding, both candidates said they prefer state-led education. Hutchinson said he would consider rejecting federal funds if federal "strings" threatened local policy choices, while Nuttle urged careful transition planning to avoid leaving students behind.

The forum included questions about teacher discipline, UPAC licensing recommendations, and whether staff should post "core guides" tied to standards without a final board vote. Aaron Bolan, who submitted the core-guides question, explained the guides are supplementary implementation ideas posted alongside standards. Nuttle said curriculum decisions belong at the local level and emphasized oversight; Hutchinson said staff serve at the board's direction and that boards must provide oversight when constituents raise concerns.

Both candidates urged delegates to attend the county convention Saturday for the breakout session at UVU. Hutchinson and Nuttle left contact details and websites and asked delegates to vote in the convention proceedings.