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Committee approves Bridges to Community Readiness policy, prioritizes students with IEPs
Summary
The Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind committee approved draft 2 of the Bridges to Community Readiness post‑high program on first reading and amended the policy to prioritize students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs); the motion passed unanimously and will go to the full board for final reading.
The Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind standing committee voted unanimously to approve the Bridges to Community Readiness post‑high services policy (8.23) on first reading and forward it to the full Utah State Board of Education for second and final reading.
Susan Patton, who presented the draft, said the program — described as an "education‑focused launchpad" for students who have completed high school with an alternate diploma or certificate of completion — currently serves three students and addresses vision‑loss‑specific skill gaps before students transition to adulthood. "This has been proposed since January," Patton said, adding staff and members have visited the Bridges program and the DSBVI and consulted vocational rehabilitation.
Chair Wood moved an amendment to clarify participant eligibility and priorities. The amended language, adopted by the committee, adds a new 1.2.1 that prioritizes students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for admission and moves a sentence allowing graduates with a standard diploma to apply into a new 1.2.2. Chair Wood said the change ensures the program "fills a gap that is not filled in other areas" and lets districts and USDB consider applicants case‑by‑case.
Deputy Superintendent Voorhees worked with members to refine the placement and wording of the new subsections during the discussion. Board member Erin Longacre and others described site visits that convinced them Bridges is complementary to other programs, not competitive, and welcomed greater clarity on prioritization.
Cindy Davis, who chaired the session in Wood’s temporary absence, asked staff to return a revised Section 11 for board consideration in June to address language and legal consistency across the broader policy. The committee recorded the amendment and then approved the amended motion on a unanimous voice vote.
Next steps: the amended draft will be forwarded to the full Utah State Board of Education for a second and final reading; staff will bring a revised Section 11 with additional wording fixes to the board in June.
(Reporting note: the transcript used the term "Bridal" in several places; the committee and program materials refer to the Bridges to Community Readiness program. The article corrects that transcription inconsistency.)
