The district keeps track of bills that affect students, district employees and potential funding for schools. Here are some items they are tracking:
School safety and sensitive materials
The school district is following legislation that would increase training for school resource officers and establish armed guardians at all schools. It's also watching a bill that would increase penalties for making false threats against schools.
Proposed changes to Utah’s sensitive materials law will also impact schools. The law prohibits any “pornographic or indecent” instructional materials, excluding materials used for medical or similar courses.
The proposed changes to the bill distinguish between objective sensitive material and subjective sensitive material, which is referred to as the “bright line” rule. The proposed changes would allow schools to remove objective sensitive materials quicker and without parent input.
District Community Relations Manager Heidi Matthews said the bill also sets a threshold for removing objective sensitive materials in all 42 school districts across the state.
“The language says if at least three school districts determined something to be sensitive materials, then that becomes state law throughout that they're removed from all school districts,” she said.
Eliminating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Offices
HB 261 would essentially eliminate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Offices in public schools and state agencies. While it would mainly affect higher education, Matthews said K-12 public schools could also see changes.
“It does have K-12 implications, specifically making sure that all students have had those supports and removing the ability to focus on specific underperforming groups,” she said.
Restrooms for transgender people
HB 257 affects K-12 schools as it designates who can use gendered restrooms in public and government-funded facilities. The bill would only allow people to use a restroom that corresponds to their assigned sex at birth, which essentially prevents transgender people from using bathrooms and other private areas aligning with their gender identity. The only exception is if a transgender person has updated their birth certificate and had gender-affirming surgery.
Bills affecting school funding
SB 86 puts a $30 million cap on Lease Revenue Bonds. Park City School District Business Administrator Randy Upton said money from these bonds can be used to build schools.
“School districts of growth have to build an elementary or do some projects that way. An elementary school nowadays costs right around $30 million,” Upton said. “So, once you put in property in every city, if there's any infrastructure you got to put in front of the school, it escalates that.”
The Dual Language Immersion, Beverly Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning and Digital Teaching and Learning programs are also being reevaluated this legislative session.
“They've left those out of the out of the base budget bill so they can study those during the session and determine whether number one, they're going to be funded or if they're going to be repurposed,” Upton said.
The programs could also be funded through the Weighted Pupil Unit process.
Upton also anticipates around a $200,000 increase in the district’s Property Insurance Premium.
“As there's been disasters like in Maui and around the country, hurricanes, tornadoes, whatever, that raises rates for everyone, unfortunately,” he said. “As risk management bids that out, they're finding out that property replacements becoming more and more expensive.”
That makes the property more valuable which increases premiums. Upton said the Division of Risk Management is working with the legislature to pull money from the economic stabilization fund to help districts.
The 2024 legislative session ends on March 1.
