Dozens of parents of special needs children rallied at the Capitol Friday to tell their story to lawmakers and show support for the Carson Smith Scholarship program.

Mary Lee Hackman, of South Jordan, just recently discovered her daughter Kathryn, 10, has dyslexia, so she applied for the Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship. Next month, Kathryn will start attending a private school in Murray that specializes in techniques for dyslexic students and has up to 10 children per class.

"We would not normally be able to afford this private school," Hackman said. She added she barely found out about the scholarship days before the school's deadline.

Making sure parents of special needs students know about the scholarship is the goal of HB425, sponsored by Rep. Merlynn Newbold, R-South Jordan. The bill has passed the House Education Standing Committee and is awaiting debate in the House.

HB425 makes minor changes to current law, including requiring school districts to give scholarship information by Feb. 1 to students with a disability who are under an Individualized Education Plan. It also requires districts to give the scholarship information to students within 30 days of their qualifying for an IEP.

"We want to make sure we get these kids in the right place and get them the right education," Newbold said.

The bill requests the school district put the link to the Utah State Office of Education on the district's Web site. The State Office has a full-time employee who can answer questions on Carson Smith Scholarships. Call 538-7876 or visit usoe.k12.ut.us.

Cheryl Smith, President of the Autism Council of Utah, whose son is the namesake of the scholarship, said she is surprised at how many people don't know about the program. "It's been a life-saver for my family and many others," she said.

She added Carson, now 10, started talking this year. His favorite words are "chips" and "store."

Newbold's bill further states a private school that changes ownership must reapply to become eligible to use the scholarships. The lawmaker points to the now-defunct Utah Southvalley Community High School as an example. The private school in Murray lasted one school year before succumbing to financial troubles.

The Carson Smith Scholarship was signed into law by Gov. Jon M. Huntsman in 2005.

Scholarship amounts range from $3,865 to $6,442 depending on the amount of special education services a child requires.

Since the 2005-2006 school year, the program has grown from 108 students at nine private schools to 565 children at 45 schools — for a 423 percent enrollment increase.

Parents can apply for the Carson Smith Scholarship throughout the school year, but to receive the full scholarship amount for the 2009-10 school year, applications must be submitted by July 1.

To learn more, go to UtahEducationFacts.com