The Utah State Board of Education on Thursday rejected a proposal from some of its members to send a letter to President Donald Trump formally supporting the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education.
The letter, revised twice since its initial release earlier this week, praised the Trump administration’s recent executive order to scale back the department and shift full control of public education to the states.
“It is the conviction of the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) that educational decisions should be made as close to the student as possible,” the latest draft read. “First and foremost, this rests with parents, but certainly shouldn’t leave the state.”
After a short debate, the board shot down the proposal in a 10-4 vote, with members Jennie Earl, Rod Hall, Joseph Kerry and Cole Kelley voting in favor — the same four who requested that the board consider the letter.
The letter was also addressed to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens and other Utah congressional members.
It also urged the federal government to repeal the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), enacted in 2015 under former President Barack Obama. ESSA replaced No Child Left Behind, granting states more flexibility while still requiring them to assess student performance and share results with parents.
ESSA also mandated greater data transparency, requiring each state to create an accessible, easy-to-understand “State Report Card” available online. Other required data points included graduation rates, suspensions, and absenteeism.
“These regulatory acts have long been roadblocks to student success and created bureaucratic strongholds that have moved the educational framework outside its academic purpose,” the letter said of ESSA.
One of the Education Department’s key roles is providing federal funding to public schools, particularly through Title programs such as Title I, which supports schools that enroll high numbers of economically disadvantaged students.
Many of Utah’s 330 Title I schools depend on this funding, as state contributions often fall short of meeting the requirements of high-need students.
Utah’s public education budget is roughly $8 billion, and federal money accounts for about 11% of that.
While the original version of the letter acknowledged the “importance” of Title programs, the version that saw a vote Thursday did not.
“We intend to pursue a revenue plan free from federal funding and ask that you join us in championing these endeavors within our state and beyond,” the letter stated.
Board member Sarah Reale expressed doubt that Utah would replace the federal funding if that money was lost.
“I am not confident, based on evidence of the last five years, that our state would do its due diligence in ensuring funding and prioritizing all of the programs and students with the greatest need,” Reale said.
Member Carol Lear echoed Reale’s concerns.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Board member Carol Barlow Lear, District 6, listens during a meeting for the Utah State Board of Education in Salt Lake City on Thursday, April 3, 2025.
“There is no evidence in my mind to say the state can do this better,” she said.
Lear on Thursday also raised issue with the state’s school voucher program, “Utah Fits All,” which she believes is unconstitutional and said is an example of Utah’s mismanagement of public education dollars.
In its inaugural year, the then-$82 million, taxpayer-backed program provided 10,000 eligible students with an $8,000 scholarship. The funds could be spent on a variety of educational and extracurricular expenses.
This year, lawmakers injected another $20 million into the pot, bringing the state’s total spending to more than $100 million for fiscal 2026.
But less than a year after launching the program, Utah last month decided to end its contract with ACE Scholarships, the organization it hired in November 2023 to manage the multimillion-dollar initiative.
“Only nine months into the experience it was decided … that entity was not doing a good job,” Lear said Thursday. “It’s been, frankly, poorly managed.”