The Utah Legislature has called a special session to approve a COVID-19 relief package that includes a troubling school neo-voucher provision undermining public education.
Please contact your lawmakers and ask that they not abuse the pandemic response to undercut public education and protections for students with disabilities.
This bill, H.B. 4003, dubiously titled the “Special Needs Opportunity Scholarship Program,” will give families a tax credit to send their children to private schools. This neo-voucher scheme diverts money away from the already underfunded public education system and puts the most vulnerable students at risk. Private schools, very often religious, are able to deny admission to students for any reason and skirt state-mandated protections for special needs students. This bill would let them do so on the taxpayers’ dime with no government oversight.
According to the Utah Education Association, 95 percent of Utah families choose public schools. Taxpayer dollars must continue to fund the schools that benefit the vast majority of Utah schools and are held to accountability and oversight standards.
Utah voters rejected vouchers by a wide margin (63 to 37) in 2007, and now the Legislature is trying to defy the will of We the People.
Please urge your lawmakers to vote no on H.B. 4003. Click on the red “Take Action” link below. Feel free to use or adapt the talking points provided. Personalized messages are always the most impactful!
