There's no way of knowing what Utah bought with its school voucher money.
Hits & Misses
By Katharine Biele @kathybiele
Miss: In Private
The people who quietly admitted to a death wish for public education are well on their way in Utah. The Utah Fits All Scholarship has a waiting list of parents salivating at money to teach their kids just what they want. We say that because there is still no academic accountability. Utah is one of 13 states that don't require testing for private and home schools, so it's difficult to know how they will do. Some states, in fact, have shown poor results compared with public schools. A KUTV story showed that the vouchers are popular, but only one-third of applicants got the full $8,000 and a "substantial number" were home-schoolers. NPR did a recent story about "an existential enrollment crisis" as public schools lost 1 million students since the pandemic. There are two ballot measures in Utah that will address how education funds are spent. No matter the results, it looks like voucher money will be growing.
Miss: Without Equal
As long as we're on education, let's talk race and poverty. Utah's recent anti-DEI law prohibits "outreach programs, hiring practices and trainings that discriminate based on race, religion, sex or sexuality." Building America's Future, a bipartisan group purporting to fortify communities and "improve American society," is pushing ads to thank Gov. Spencer Cox and four Republican governors for leading the opposition to DEI in schools, the Deseret News reports. DEI, they say, is a product of "coastal liberals." Diversity be damned, Affirmative Action was also on the cutting block after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. As the statistics come in, they show fewer minorities entering college. Wrap your head around the idea that the country has solved racial imbalance and no one deserves a hand up. Maybe we're headed toward that lofty goal of white nationalism.
Hit: Fight the Future
No one knows how the courts will rule, but the very fact that Utah's teenagers have a chance to make their case is good news. The Utah Supreme Court is considering whether to revive a lawsuit over the state's fossil fuel policies, Fox 13 reports. Utah teens joined others around the country pleading with lawmakers to help them breathe. Montana now has to consider climate change when approving projects. Hawaii teens won a settlement. Washington State and California are adding to the wave of youth-led lawsuits. It's stunning that Utah acts to protect fossil fuels while wildfires beset the west. And a Utah Foundation report found air quality was "important" to voters. Oh, it also noted that politicians listening to voters was "most important."
About The Author
Katharine Biele
A City Weekly contributor since 1992, Katharine Biele is the informed voice behind our Hits & Misses column. When not writing, you can catch her working to empower voters and defend democracy alongside the League of Women Voters.
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