The Utah State Board of Education is tasked by the legislature to make administrative rules regarding various topics within education. These rules have the effect of law and govern many areas that impact all levels of the education community. The Board takes the task of crafting law seriously and with the utmost level of respect for the required process
In April and May of this year the Board’s Standards and Assessment Committee engaged in the rule creation process through crafting a rule regarding educational equity, R277-328. These two months of meetings included input from many stakeholders in written comments and verbal public comments taken during those meetings.
In the June meeting of the Board, R277-328 was considered by the full Board. The consideration included further comments from education stakeholders in both written and verbal form. The Board made several amendments in this meeting and passed the amended version of R277-328 unanimously.
As required for each administrative rule, the next step is for R277-328 to be posted for its official 30-day public comment period, which started July 1, 2021. As allowed by law during the public comment period, members of the public may also request a public hearing. This hearing is a forum where further comments regarding a rule can be provided by the requestors of the hearing. The Board received requests from six different groups. These six groups were provided a forum today with equal time to present and the Board welcomed each group’s additional feedback regarding the proposed draft of R277-328. Several individual members of the public also spoke at the hearing.
The public comment period for R277-328 will continue through July 31, 2021, and further comments regarding R277-328 will be accepted through this date at [email protected]. The Board in its August 5, 2021 meeting will discuss all the public comment received for R277-328 and determine any further action regarding the current draft. The potential actions to consider will include additional amendments, which will require a new 30-day public comment period or proceeding with making the current draft of the rule effective.
The Board is grateful to once again engage in the robust process required for crafting administrative rules including the opportunity to facilitate a public hearing. The Board values and graciously welcomes all feedback regarding R277-328 and its process.
