Voucher victory.

• Position: TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS - Brief article

The Utah Legislature has approved the first-ever universal school voucher program in the nation. A seven-year legislative battle came to an end when the Senate approved the first bill 19 to 10 and the House passed it by one vote (38-37). A second bill to amend some of the provisions of the first passed two weeks later.

The Parent Choice in Education Act awards tuition scholarships to any public school student who wants to attend a sectarian or secular private school. The amount of the voucher ranges from $500 to $3,000 and is based on family income. The scholarships will be awarded subject to the availability of funds. Currently, the Legislature has appropriated $200,000 in ongoing general fund revenues to the State Board of Education for administration of the scholarships.

To ease the financial burden this may have on public schools, districts will receive money to offset the reduction in per pupil funding caused by students transferring to private schools. The program is expected to cost over $9...