Utah is being sued over its controversial school voucher program
The Utah Education Association is suing Utah over a controversial publicly funded school voucher program.
The Utah Fits All voucher program, set to begin this upcoming school year, offers eligible K-12 students an $8,000 scholarship to choose where to go to school. It’s funded by revenue from Utah’s income tax.
Proponents of the program say it gives parents more options and allows for individualized learning. However, the program has received heavy criticism from Utah public educators who claim the vouchers funnel millions of dollars of public funds into private charter schools or homeschooling.
The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, also claims the voucher program the Utah State Constitution, which protects the use of public funds for public education.
Logan City School District seeking interim board member
The Logan City School District is seeking an interim Board of Education member after the previous board member passed away.
Serving member Ann Geary died on May 17 after serving in the position for 28 years.
The Logan City School District is now looking to fill an interim position that will serve until the end of the year. At that point, the board member who will be chosen in November’s general election will take over.
Applications are open until June 5 for residents of District 1, which covers Bridger Elementary and Ellis Elementary neighborhoods.
Interviews will then be conducted at the June 11 Board of Education meeting, after which the board will have a closed session to select an interim member.
To apply or for more information, contact Rachel Behm, the Logan City School District executive assistant to the superintendent and Board of Education, at rachel.behm@loganschools.org
Utah introduces helitack program to better address active wildfires
The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands is starting a helitack program to better assess and address active wildfires in the state.
Helitack crews are made of wildland firefighters who are transported by helicopter to wildfires. This rapid transport allows for faster assessment of and response to wildfires.
The new crew, named Diamond Fork Helitack, will be made of eight wildland firefighters and stationed at the Spanish Fork Airport. The crew will be available for the whole state during the summer.
When not directly engaged in fire suppression, the crew’s aircraft can also transport equipment and aid firefighting crews with logistical support.
