What a powerful weekend of leadership, collaboration, and advocacy at the Utah School Boards Association Pre-Delegate and Delegate Assembly! School board members, superintendents, and business administrators collaborated on legislative priorities for the 2026 Utah Legislative Session.
During Friday evening’s session, Dr. Molly Hart, the new Utah Superintendent of Public Instruction inspired attendees with her passion for public education and her focus on student-centered solutions. During her comments, Dr. Hart stated, “We all must do this together. We cannot do it by ourselves.” The Utah School Boards Association (USBA) and Utah School Superintendents Association (USSA) are looking forward to working with Dr. Hart and supporting students throughout Utah.
Senator Balderree and Representative Pierucci joined us for a thoughtful and engaging panel discussion, offering insight into how we can work together to strengthen public education in Utah. Mark Clement, USBA President, and Teri Rhodes, USBA Immediate Past President, moderated the panel discussion. Both Senator Balderree and Representative Pierucci stressed the importance of working together and building relationships.
A panel of three superintendents, Cade Douglas (Sevier), Anthony Godfrey (Jordan), and Mika Salas (Carbon), and three school board members, Julie Jackson (Granite), Jennifer Partridge (Provo), and James Winn (Emery), led a review of the proposed legislative priorities, demonstrating the value of united voices from across the state.
On Saturday morning, delegates officially passed the 2026 USBA Legislative Priorities, reaffirming our shared commitment to ensuring each Utah student is prepared for college, career, and life. USBA believes that an educated citizenry will further the position of Utah as a state leader in the nation.
2026 Legislative Priorities
· Establish a working group of legislators and JLC (USBA, USSA, UASBO) to find collaborative solutions for Utah’s students, educators, and communities
· Provide 2% above guaranteed inflation and growth in the WPU, prioritizing support for students with special needs
· Increase funding for at-risk students to help close opportunity gaps
· Support a future workforce by incentivizing student attendance
· Allocate 85% of Economic Stabilization Account funds directly to LEAs for school safety, capital needs, and educator-directed time
· Partner on a long-term educational funding framework that ensures sustainable, student-centered investment
Thank you to all the dedicated delegates, education leaders, and legislators who participated in this important work. Together, we are building a brighter future for every Utah student.