utah_voucher_program_overview_for_private

Utah's New Parental Choice Voucher Program

An Overview for Private Schools

**IMPORTANT UPDATE:**

Voucher opponents have successfully gathered enough signatures to put a referendum against the voucher program on a public ballot.

The State Board of Education has used this an excuse to not implement the voucher program despite the fact that the Attorney General has stated that by law, they are obligated to implement the voucher program (described below) this fall.

So far the State Board of Education has missed their first deadline to have application materials available by May 15th.

CLICK HERE to learn more and to find out how you can help give kids access to a quality education now.

Signed into law on February 12, 2007, the Parental Choice Voucher Program (PCVP) is a state-funded voucher (or scholarship) program for K-12 students. Through the PCVP, qualifying families can use a voucher to help pay for tuition costs at the eligible private school of their choice.

Eligibility Requirements for

Private Schools

In order to participate in the PCEP, your private school must meet the following requirements:

Basic Requirements:

Have a physical location in Utah where the students attend classes and have direct contact with the school's teachers.
Comply with the antidiscrimination provisions of 42 U.S.C. Sec. 2000d. (See below)
Meet state and local health and safety laws and codes. (See below)
Have at least 40 students (whether using a voucher or not) enrolled in your private school.

Disclosure Requirements:

Provide to any person upon request a statement indicating which, if any, organizations have accredited your private school.
Disclose to the parent of each prospective student, before the student is enrolled, the special education services that will be provided to the student, if any, including the cost of those services.

Teacher Requirements:

Employ or contract with teachers who hold baccalaureate or higher degrees OR have special skills, knowledge, or expertise that qualifies them to provide instruction in the subjects taught.
Employ or contract with teachers who have completed a criminal background check.
Provide to parents the teaching credentials of the school's teachers.

Testing Requirements:

Annually assess the achievement of each student in the following manner:

Administer a norm-referenced test scored by an independent party that provides a comparison of the student's performance to other students on a national basis; or
Administer an alternative assessment of the student's achievement, if the student:
- has a disability or limited English proficiency; AND
- would be exempt from taking a nationally norm-referenced achievement test if enrolled in a Utah public school
Report the results of the norm-referenced test mandated above to each student's parent(s).

Make results of the norm-reference test mandated above available to other persons upon request, in a manner that does not reveal the identity of any student.

Financial Requirements:

Contract with an independent certified public accountant to perform agreed upon procedures
to determine the following:

That working capital is at least 80% of average quarterly expenditures by taking total expenditures for a year and dividing it by four and then dividing average quarterly expenditures into working capital

(See below).

(For a school in the first year of operations, use the estimated budget to estimate average quarterly expenditures.)

That scholarship payments are accounted for separately and reconciled to student records.

(For a school in the first year of operations, determine that procedures are in place for this accounting.)

That expenditure of scholarship funds have been made for education expenses and is consistent with other tuition expenditures.

(For a school in the first year of operations, determine that procedures are in place for this accounting.)

**Private schools will have to submit a report on the agreed upon procedures as part of their application for eligibility. Once eligibility is granted to a private school, it will have to submit this report every 4 years.

The following schools are NOT eligible to participate in the voucher program:

A school that operates in a residence
A residential treatment facility licensed by the state
A school that encourages illegal conduct

Application Process for Private Schools

The Utah State Board of Education is finalizing the voucher application process. By May 15, 2007, all the information should be made available. Go to www.SchoolChoiceUtah.org and sign up to receive an email notice as soon as the voucher applications are made available.

The application deadline for private schools that would like to enroll voucher students in the 2007-08 school year is June 15, 2007. The list of eligible private schools for the 2007-08 school year will be made available July 1, 2007. Parents will then have until July 15, 2007 to send in their applications for vouchers.

As part of the application process, private schools will have to submit to the Utah State School Board a report on the agreed upon procedures as explained above under “Financial Requirements.”

Anti-Discrimination Provisions

Private schools in Utah are already supposed to comply with the antidiscrimination provisions found in 42 U.S.C. Sec. 2000d: “No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

Health and Safety Codes

Private schools in Utah are already supposed to comply with the health and safety laws and codes mandated by the state and local governments. To set up a fire code inspection, call (801) 284-6350. For information on compliance with other safety and health codes, contact the city government in which your private school resides.

Agreed Upon Procedures, Part A

As clarification, your school’s working capital equals your current assets minus your current liabilities. Current assets include your liquid assets (such as money on hand) and anything in your accounts receivable (money that other entities owe you at that moment). Current liabilities include anything in your accounts payable (money that your school owes other entities at that moment).

Currently, in order to be eligible, your school’s working capital must equal 80% or more of your school’s average quarterly expenditures (or expenses). To calculate your average quarterly expenditures, divide your annual expenditures (or expenses) by 4.

Important Links

**Disclaimer: Although based on the text found in HB 148 (the legislation that created the Parent Choice in Education voucher program), the information in this website is an approximation of the application process and requirements that are currently being finalized by the Utah State School Board. The exact application process and requirements will not be known until the Utah State School Board makes them available on May 15, 2007 as mandated by law.