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STATEUtah · May 10, 2026

Utah Board of Education Prioritizes 2026 Funding Requests

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The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) has established its funding priorities for the 2026 legislative session, including a WPU increase and funding for paraprofessional K-3 programs.

The Bottom Line

The Utah State Board of Education has prioritized its funding requests for the 2026 legislative session, with a focus on increasing the Weighted Pupil Unit (WPU) and supporting various educational programs.

The Case For

  • Prioritizing a WPU increase of 2 percent above the inflationary adjustment aims to provide additional resources for schools.
  • Funding the Paraprofessional K-3 Grant Program can improve early childhood education.
  • Allocating funds to the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program supports arts education.

The Case Against

None explicitly stated in the source.

Key Numbers

  • WPU increase of 2 percent above the inflationary adjustment
  • $150,000 to support the Every Day Counts attendance campaign
  • $1,600,000 to address the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind’s (USDB) budget deficit
  • $38,500 to support a statewide essay contest

Source Verification

The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) made these decisions based on discussions at its October 2, 2025 board meeting, as summarized in the board summary document.

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Source receipt

✓ Quote-grounded
Utah State Board of Education
https://schools.utah.gov/board/utah/meetings/_meetingsummaries_/October2025BoardSummary.pdf
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Quoted passages this brief is built from (7)
  • "created a prioritized list of education-related funding requests for the upcoming 2026 legislative session."
    — October 2, 2025 Board Meeting
  • "A Weighted Pupil Unit (WPU) increase of 2 percent above the inflationary adjustment."
    — Board Establishes Legislative Funding Priorities
  • "Paraprofessional K-3 Grant Program"
    — Board Establishes Legislative Funding Priorities
  • "Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program"
    — Board Establishes Legislative Funding Priorities
  • "$150,000 to support the Every Day Counts attendance campaign."
    — Board Approves Use of Fiscal Year
  • "$1,600,000 to address the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind’s (USDB) budget deficit."
    — Board Approves Use of Fiscal Year
  • "allocate $38,500 to support a statewide essay contest commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, for students in grades 5, 8, and high school."
    — Board Approves Use of Fiscal Year