House OKs special ed voucher; rally pushes tuition tax credits

A bill giving government vouchers to parents sending special education children to private schools easily made the grade in the Utah House Monday.

In other news, about 100 people gathered for an afternoon rally to support school choice through tuition tax credits — a proposal expected to come before the House in the next couple of days.

Early Monday, the House approved HB249, "Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarships," with a 58-17 vote. A similar bill was vetoed by former Gov. Olene Walker last spring.

"I'm excited beyond words," said Cheryl Smith, who sends her son, Carson, to the $23,000-a-year Carmen B. Pingree School for Children with Autism. "It's exciting to see someone is going to help (parents)."

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Merlynn Newbold, R-South Jordan, would give government vouchers, topping out around $5,500, to parents sending children with disabilities to private schools. The bill would be retroactive to this school year.

The bill includes accountability for participating schools and students, including teacher requirements and eligibility reviews. It aims to bar participants from suing the state for all their child's educational expenses under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Amendments proposed to increase safeguards for parents and public funds were labeled redundant and failed.

HB249's fiscal note calls for $2.5 million in general funds and a some $900,000 school budget reduction to make up for kids who would no longer be in public schools (public education is largely funded by enrollment).

But Newbold says she wants just $1.4 million.

"(The bill) provides substantive opportunities for children with disabilities to get the optimal education they need," Newbold said. "This bill is in no way intended to be critical of our public schools. . . . It is complementing public education."

But some legislators said the bill wouldn't help anyone off the Wasatch Front, where all the special needs private schools are. Others prefer giving public schools more money to help all special education kids, as the State Board of Education requests.

"I think all disabled children need to have this option," said Rep. Lou Shurtliff, D-Ogden.

But Rep. Craig Buttars, R-Lewiston, views things differently. "Though we can't help all of them, are we going to turn away all those we can help?"

The bill goes to the Senate for debate.

Monday afternoon, a group gathered outside the Capitol to rally support another bill they say would give parents "real" school choice, create competition to improve education and help the state less expensively educate a coming enrollment boom.