Bill > HB0396

This bill amends the formula for funding necessarily existent small schools in Utah by establishing a comprehensive new framework for calculating additional weighted pupil units (WPUs) for rural and small school districts. The bill defines a "necessarily existent small school" as a school located in a rural area, more than 10 miles from larger population centers, with low student enrollment (27 or fewer students in grades K-6, or 125 or fewer in grades 7-12), and not an online or charter school. The funding formula will use a two-factor distribution: a scale of operations weighting that provides up to 1.5 WPUs based on a cost function analysis for small districts, and a rural-school weighting that provides additional units based on student enrollment. For elementary grades, schools with five or fewer students start with nine base WPUs, with additional units added for students up to 12, and then decreasing for students beyond that number. Similar but slightly different calculations apply to secondary grades. The state board is required to review and potentially adjust the formula every five years, with provisions to protect school districts from sudden funding losses. The bill also establishes a detailed approval process for school districts wanting to split existing necessarily existent small schools, ensuring that such splits are educationally motivated and not primarily driven by financial considerations. The new funding formula will take effect on July 1, 2025.

Education

https://le.utah.gov/~2025/bills/static/HB0396.html