State Board moves to fold USDB financial and program oversight into USBE, approves audit-driven changes
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The Utah State Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt the requirements of the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (USDB) audit and to bring USDB financial and programmatic systems under the Utah State Board of Education (USBE).
USDB Assistant Superintendent of Operations Deborah Jacobson told the board the agency had completed the first quarter of the fiscal year and that “USDB still continues to be a budget risk, moving forward, and that's due to the deficit.” Jacobson said internal controls and budget realignment work were underway.
During discussion the board approved committee language recommending that “the superintendent shall appoint an assistant superintendent of USBE to function as the superintendent of the USDB.” Chair Wood read the committee motion and the board adopted it unanimously. Member Carey said the change “increases accountability across both platforms” by tying USDB leadership more directly to USBE oversight.
Board members also debated contingency funding provided to USDB in a prior session. Member Carrie moved to reconsider the board’s recent allocation to add additional reporting requirements; the motion to reconsider passed 13–2. Later the board approved a separate measure requiring the superintendent to provide an itemized list of expenditures to be reviewed by the board for each $500,000 spent from the contingency fund, to be included in the monthly budget report. That motion passed unanimously.
Interim leadership changes were discussed during the USDB report. Superintendent Hart introduced Darren Nielsen as an interim assistant superintendent overseeing day‑to‑day operations at USDB campuses. Nielsen said he had spent two weeks on the assignment and reported staff welcomed additional support from USBE.
The board directed staff to continue policy work and the internal controls project recommended in the audit. No changes to statutory authority were enacted by the board; the motion is a recommendation that would require code changes by the Legislature to make permanent the appointment mechanism described.
Votes and formal actions recorded from the session appear below, and the board asked staff to return with implementation details as the USBE/USDB integration proceeds.
USDB Assistant Superintendent of Operations Deborah Jacobson told the board the agency had completed the first quarter of the fiscal year and that “USDB still continues to be a budget risk, moving forward, and that's due to the deficit.” Jacobson said internal controls and budget realignment work were underway.
During discussion the board approved committee language recommending that “the superintendent shall appoint an assistant superintendent of USBE to function as the superintendent of the USDB.” Chair Wood read the committee motion and the board adopted it unanimously. Member Carey said the change “increases accountability across both platforms” by tying USDB leadership more directly to USBE oversight.
Board members also debated contingency funding provided to USDB in a prior session. Member Carrie moved to reconsider the board’s recent allocation to add additional reporting requirements; the motion to reconsider passed 13–2. Later the board approved a separate measure requiring the superintendent to provide an itemized list of expenditures to be reviewed by the board for each $500,000 spent from the contingency fund, to be included in the monthly budget report. That motion passed unanimously.
Interim leadership changes were discussed during the USDB report. Superintendent Hart introduced Darren Nielsen as an interim assistant superintendent overseeing day‑to‑day operations at USDB campuses. Nielsen said he had spent two weeks on the assignment and reported staff welcomed additional support from USBE.
The board directed staff to continue policy work and the internal controls project recommended in the audit. No changes to statutory authority were enacted by the board; the motion is a recommendation that would require code changes by the Legislature to make permanent the appointment mechanism described.
Votes and formal actions recorded from the session appear below, and the board asked staff to return with implementation details as the USBE/USDB integration proceeds.
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