SALT LAKE CITY (May 3, 2023) — Education has been a top priority for our administration since we took office, and with the Legislature’s help, we’ve delivered. This is the third year in a row that we have made historic investments in education. Today we ceremonially signed some of these bills. Here are the highlights: 

H.B. 477 Full Day Kindergarten: 

Makes full-day kindergarten available for all local education agencies with an option for half-day kindergarten. We signed this bill in the Wasatch County School District today because it’s one of the first districts to implement districtwide full-day kindergarten in our state. As this program grows across our state, all families that feel that this option is best for their child, will have the opportunity to choose it. 

H.B. 2 Public Education Budget Amendments: 

Provides funding for all education-related items during full-day kindergarten, increases the value of the Weighted Pupil Unit (WPU) for FY 23-24 by 6% and adjusts the number of WPUs to allow for full-day kindergarten. 

H.B. 61 School Safety Requirements: 

Ensures safe schools is a priority of every parent and educator. This bill creates a state security chief position within DPS and creates the School Security Task Force. We can keep our kids safe, and this bill allows us to come together as a state to do that. 

H.B. 102 Higher Education Residency Amendments: 

This bill requires an institution within the state system of higher education to grant residency status to an individual who is not a citizen of the United States but has been granted or has applied for one of the following immigration statuses: special immigrant visa recipient, refugee, humanitarian parole, temporary protected status, or asylum.

H.B. 163 Protecting Student Religious and Moral Beliefs Regarding Athletic Uniform Requirements:

Provides that certain associations and educational organizations may not prohibit a student athlete from wearing religious clothing, or other clothing consistent with the student athlete’s beliefs, while participating in an athletic activity. The bill requires these organizations to provide the clothing described above if the association or educational organization requires that the clothing be a certain material, style, or color.

H.B. 308 School Grading Modifications:

Removes the requirement on the State Board of Education to use a letter grade to assign a school an overall rating. The bill amends provisions related to school turnaround and leadership development that reference letter grades under the school accountability system. 

H.B. 332 Fallen Officer Memorial Scholarship Program: 

Creates the Fallen Officer Memorial Scholarship Program to be administered by the Department of Public Safety to provide education funds to children of public safety officers and firefighters who have died in the line of duty.

S.B. 183 Educator Salary Amendments:

This bill adds an automatic appropriation adjustment for inflation to the awards from the Educator Salary Adjustments Program and the Teacher Salary Supplement Program. The bill modifies what constitutes an eligible teacher–in terms of performance evaluation–for purposes of these programs.

This wraps up our ceremonial signings for the 2023 General Legislative Session! Thanks to Daniels Canyon Elementary School in Heber for hosting us.