Utah’s education leaders are considering what programs should be cut to meet the Utah Legislature’s mandate to trim 5% of the state’s budget — and everything from suicide prevention to school vouchers is on the block.
The Utah State Board of Education is meeting Thursday to consider recommendations to cut the state’s nearly $6 billion schools budget. The board is scheduled to meet at noon to discuss two proposals, each of which recommends cuts of just over $295.7 million.
The biggest proposed cut is the elimination of Utah Fits All, the voucher program that allocates money to students in private schools or being homeschooled.
One proposal recommends defunding the $122.6 million Utah Fits All program, while the other suggests cutting $6.1 million, or 5%, of the voucher program.
These are some of the programs suggested for elimination in both proposals:
• Student mental health screenings, a program the Legislature created in 2024 to improve students’ well-being: $1 million.
• A suicide-prevention program the Legislature created last year, to help prevent student suicides and track schools’ efforts: $1 million.
• Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarships, which are available to students with disabilities who attend private schools: $8.6 million.
• Dual immersion programs that allow students to learn a second language through classes that are half in English and half in another language: $7.9 million.
• A program that helps school districts with construction, renovation and debt service of new buildings: $27.6 million.
• A program that adds $4,100 to the salaries of qualifying secondary math and science teachers: $26 million.
• Software licenses for early literacy education to help students in grades K-3 who are reading below grade level: $10.6 million.
• Digital teaching and learning programs that help educators find ways to use technology in the classroom: $18.4 million.
Each of the two proposals also recommends eliminating one of the state’s arts education programs. One suggests cutting the $19.4 million allocated to the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program, which provides funding for arts-integrated education in elementary schools.
The other calls for cutting the $6.1 million given to the Professional Outreach Programs in the Schools, or POPS, which pays to bring in nonprofits — including Tanner Dance, the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art and others — to teach the arts in schools.
Here are other programs that are being suggested for elimination on one of the two proposals:
• A program aiming to strengthen human trafficking and child sexual abuse education in elementary and secondary public schools: $1 million.
• Software that evaluates the reading level of elementary school students: $2.8 million.
The Utah Legislature has asked all state agencies to look for 5% to cut from their budgets, House Majority Whip Rep. Candice Pierucci, R-Riverton, said Monday at a United Way-sponsored preview breakfast. Pierucci said House Speaker Mike Schultz is spearheading the budget cutbacks, which she said are a response to the rise in local property taxes around the state.
“With everything we see at the local level, we thought we could not ask our local [leaders] to cut budgets if we’re not willing to show [we can do] that,” Pierucci said.
Whatever recommendation USBE approves Thursday will next go to the Utah Legislature for consideration. The Legislature’s 2026 general session begins Tuesday.
This is a developing story.
