Odd or not, education plan lives on

"(Fila) always has the solution, the silver bullet," said Utah's Electronic High School principal and former state Rep. Richard Siddoway. "I think he's an honest man. I think he sincerely believes this is something that needs to be adopted . . . but I'm not sure it's appropriate."

Legislators, however, say it is appropriate — and deserving of tax dollars.

Last year, lawmakers, required by a 2003 education reform law, entertained proposals to stretch education dollars and improve student performance.

Included in bids was IIE's nearly $2 million proposal, which included seven small-scale pilots for study, including software to tailor instruction; instructional techniques from Utah State University's School of the Future; and methods targeting students' cognitive weaknesses already used by a few Utah schools.

IIE's proposal also includes offering the L. Ron Hubbard study skills program through the Electronic High School, and a "Brain and Behavior Improvement" project, which state education leaders say mimics Scientology programs and raises church-state separation issues.

That project, which accounts for about one-tenth of the money IIE sought, would have schools improve ventilation systems to see if fresher air boosts learning. It would give some students nutritional supplements and placebos to others to see if they would improve health, behavior and IQ.

And it would have 40 drug-addicted, alternative high school students undergo detoxification in a trailer equipped with saunas, showers and teaching and administrative areas. Detoxification is based on the theory that drug residues in fatty tissues is released during stress, making the person want to use again. Cleansing the body through sweat and exercise — "you can smell the stuff coming out," Phillips said — helps "clean them up so they can now think clearly."

The programs would require parental permission, and kids would detox wearing at least swimwear, Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, said.

Lawmakers decided to recommend the proposal, and put in the budget $1 million — about half what IIE asked for. The money was redirected from the State Office of Education's cache for competency-based education.

But there are questions about the final form of IIE's proposal.

Some legislators say Fila agreed to remove the detoxification and nutrition supplements section because, as Stephenson puts it, it "sounds so unusual" and may bring political fallout. Former state superintendent Steve Laing also wanted removed the L. Ron Hubbard program, to which Fila agreed. And something would have to give, considering the funding was far less than requested.