The Utah State Board of Education on Wednesday voted to adopt the financial and programmatic requirements identified in the recent audit of the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind and recommended a change to state code to clarify USDB leadership.

The board approved a committee motion that directs USBE to bring USDB financial and programmatic systems under agency oversight and to recommend code language stating that the superintendent shall appoint an assistant superintendent of USBE to function as superintendent of USDB. Chair Wood presented the committee motion; the board approved it unanimously.

The move follows legislation this year that placed USDB financial operations under USBE financial operations. At the meeting Deborah Jacobson, assistant superintendent of operations, reported that the first quarter shows fewer expenditures than later fiscal periods and that USDB remains a budget risk because of a deficit. Jacobson and other USBE staff said they are implementing internal controls and realigning staff positions; Vicky Summers was identified in discussion as the USDB budget manager under USBE financial operations.

Superintendent Hart said the State Board’s intervention includes placing an interim assistant superintendent on site at USDB to provide “boots on the ground” support. Darren Nielsen, introduced as interim assistant superintendent working directly with USDB, told the board he has met leadership across the USDB campuses and that staff have welcomed the additional support.

Board members debated and approved several related motions: one to adopt the audit requirements and recommend the code change (approved unanimously), and separate procedural votes related to funding oversight. Member Carrie successfully moved — and the board later approved — a requirement that the superintendent provide an itemized list of expenditures to the board for every $500,000 USDB spends from the $3,000,000 contingency fund; that reporting will be included with the monthly budget update the board receives. The board also debated a proposal to reconsider a prior allocation made at the previous meeting; that procedural reconsideration passed (13–2) and member Carey’s motion requiring itemized reporting at each $500,000 threshold passed later 14–0 with one member absent.

The board also approved a student-owned device policy for USDB that had come from the standing committee; that policy vote was unanimous.

Board members and USBE staff discussed additional budget details raised during the meeting: the board heard from staff that permanent school trust land proceeds were being separated by program (schools for the blind vs. schools for the deaf/hard of hearing), with roughly $1.0 million associated with the blind program and roughly $200,000 with the deaf/hard-of-hearing program. Staff said the separation was required by legal guidance and is affecting funds used for out-of-school enrichment activities; local mitigation through the USDB foundation was presented as a possible short-term option.

What’s next: USBE said staff will continue implementing the internal-controls project and will include the contingency-expenditure reporting in the monthly budget update. The board’s request for a code change will be advanced for legislative consideration as part of the board’s priorities.