SB0166S01 | Education Entity Amendments

Description
General Description: 

This bill provides a home-based education entity and micro-education entity with certain similar duties, requirements, waivers, and rights as private and charter schools.

Highlighted Provisions: 

▸ requires a county to consider micro-education and home-based education entities as
15 a permitted use in all zoning districts within a county;
16 ▸ subjects a micro-education entity to the same occupancy requirements for Class B
17 Occupancy and prevents a home-based education entity from being subject to any
18 occupancy requirements beyond a primary dwelling requirements;
19 ▸ defines:
20 • education cooperative;
21 • extracurricular lessons;
22 • home-based education entity; and
23 • micro-education entity;
24 ▸ exempts a micro-education entity and a home-based education entity from
25 immunization requirements and compulsory education requirements
26 ▸ prevents government entities from regulating micro-education entity and
27 home-based education entity instructors, student assessments, and food preparation

Bill Details
Year: 
2023
Status: 
Senate/ filed
Last Action: 
Mar 03, 2023
Sponsor
Senator
Republican - District 17
Fiscal Note
Fiscal Note Amount: 
$0
None
Utah PTA Response
Utah PTA Position
Oppose

SB0166 Legalizes various loopholes that endanger the lives of children while doing little to educate them. Health and safety hazard loopholes include: prohibition for immunization requirements; prohibition for food preparation inspection; no requirements for background checks for educators.  To the safety and health hazards this bill proposes, it also adds a permissive education environment: no student to teacher ratio; no attendance requirements; no curriculum, no assessment and no credentials for teachers. This bill would be unconscionable for public schools, and is equally unacceptable for any student outside the public school system.

Utah PTA Resolution: 
Impact on Children: 

All Utah students deserve to learn in a safe environment.  This bill disregards both safety and learning.

Commission: 
Education
Utah PTA Public Policy Program
National PTA and Utah PTA Resolutions: 

that Utah PTA and its constituent associations encourage all efforts to address school safety to involve all stakeholders, especially students, parents, and families, and consider a variety of factors including the physical and psychological safety of students