As the 2026 legislative session begins, Utah’s public education leaders are asking for a moment to pause and reflect. Over the past four years, lawmakers have passed an unprecedented number of education-related bills. While many of these policies are well intentioned, the cumulative impact on local school districts has become increasingly difficult to manage—and the strain is being felt by educators and students across the state.
In the 2025 legislative session alone, 238 education bills were introduced and 136 passed. That session resulted in 41 new rules adopted by the Utah State Board of Education, each requiring policy updates at the local level. These 238 education bills also introduced ten new reports for local districts to complete. Over the past four years, school districts have been required to implement 37 new reporting requirements. Each mandate adds complexity, consumes time, and diverts attention from the core work of teaching and learning. Collectively, they create a system that prioritizes compliance over capacity and paperwork over progress.
Compounding this challenge is the lack of funding attached to many new mandates. Too often, districts are expected to do more with the same—or fewer—resources. When new programs and requirements are not fully funded, districts are forced to make difficult choices that impact classroom instruction, student support, and enrichment opportunities. This is neither sustainable nor fair to students or taxpayers.
The administrative burden has also grown significantly. New reporting requirements demand staff time, data systems, and legal oversight—resources that could otherwise be focused on instructional improvement and student achievement. These unfunded mandates pull district leaders away from strategic leadership and place unnecessary strain on already limited budgets.
Teachers are feeling the effects as well. Constant policy changes create instability in classrooms and increase stress for educators who are already navigating high expectations and workforce shortages. The ongoing churn of requirements contributes to burnout and undermines efforts to recruit and retain high-quality educators—an issue that should be a shared concern for all policymakers.
Most importantly, students pay the price for this pace of change. Stability, consistency, and well-supported instruction are essential for learning. When districts are overwhelmed by rapid policy shifts, the focus on student success risks being diluted.
As lawmakers consider new proposals this session, USBA urges a more measured and collaborative approach. We ask legislators to push pause—to partner with local school boards and district leaders, fully fund new mandates, and allow time for thoughtful implementation of existing laws. Meaningful education policy should strengthen local capacity, respect local expertise, and keep students—not statutes—at the center of every decision.
Utah’s public education system is strongest when state leaders and local communities work together. By slowing the pace, prioritizing funding, and trusting local leadership, we can ensure that education policy truly delivers on its promise for every student.