Sutherland Institute applauds the Utah Legislature’s passage of HB 332 3rd Substitute Special Needs Scholarship Amendments.

Parents of children with disabilities want the best education for their child. But sometimes, public schools do not have the capacity to craft an education uniquely tailored to children with special needs. This leaves the parent, child and school in the anguished situation of having the student with special needs fall behind because the child isn’t getting the customized academic attention required.

HB 322 fills that gap by directly offering parents the resources and ability to put their child on a path of educational achievement. The tax credit scholarship program created in the bill expands parental choice in important and prudent ways for Utah students with special needs – those in our communities most immediately in need of options.

The passage of this bill means students with an individualized education program (IEP) will now have the opportunity to purchase a range of educational options that meet their unique needs, including textbooks, therapies, fees, supplemental materials, and more. The program will be dependent on donations rather than a yearly appropriation. This is an important way of individualizing education for the diverse group of students in our public education system.

Utah Code states that parents have the primary responsibility to guide their children’s education, a provision that becomes more meaningful as education options continue to increase.

The Legislature’s willingness to pass this program helps protect parental choice as well as Utah’s students with special needs.