Rep. Kim Coleman comments on a bill, late in the evening, on the final day of the 2019 legislature, Thursday, March 14, 2019.is run less like a scholarship and more like a tax rebate. Students still receive a scholarship to cover their schooling.
As the program has only been in effect for one full school year and part of this current school year, the data is somewhat limited. There are currently 163 students participating, according to the data provided by the Utah State Board of Education. Last year, there were 93, so it’s grown a bit. One fewer private school is participating this year than last year, with 32 total eligible — or about a third of what participates in the Carson Smith Scholarship.For the two years in operation, that puts the budget at $3.76 million.
During those same two years, it has provided 256 scholarships . Even if all of those scholarships were given out at the maximum amount of $10,000 — which is unlikely — that would still leave a surplus of $1.2 million.That means money is sitting untouched in the bank for a program that is rewarding donors for contributing but not actually serving children to its fullest potential. And there’s
How long before we see it in the news that Utah politicians are using this money in the wrong areas? Or stealing it all together?
HB215 exists solely to drain taxpayer dollars away to private schools instead of investing in Utah’s public education.