The Salt Lake Tribune

Utah’s K12 schools see historic enrollment drop

The overall number of kids attending traditional and charter K12 schools in Utah has seen its biggest drop in a decade, new data shows. There are 4,873 fewer children attending public school this fall than there were at the start of the 2023-24 school year, amounting to an historic 0.7% drop.

Utah is paying to bulletproof school windows and doors

Utah lawmakers set aside $72 million last year to help schools fund critical security upgrades, such as bulletproof window film, security cameras and emergency alert systems.

Utah schools now provide free period products. Two years later, here’s why students say it’s a success.

Two years after Utah lawmakers mandated that all public schools in the state provide students with free period products, students who use them are missing class less often and feeling more confident.

Inside the last day of school ever for these closing Salt Lake City elementaries

The Salt Lake City school board’s January decision to close the schools came after the district first studied all 27 of its elementaries for potential closure. That study followed a 2022 report from state auditors, in which they criticized the district for keeping schools open with declining enrollment.

Special education students in Utah’s largest district must switch schools—and parents are furious

This fall, the Alpine School District will implement a new “consolidated” special education class structure, forcing about 150 special education students in grades K-6 to transfer to different schools.

Longtime Salt Lake City charter school will close unless it finds a new sponsor quickly

The state charter school board and Salt Lake City School District have cited enrollment and financial concerns with the Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts.

‘Kind of scary’: More Utah students feel unsafe in school restrooms, state data shows

The survey results show higher rates of safety concerns among LGBTQ+ students. About 30% of respondents are also feeling unsafe in school parking lots.

First of its kind: Salt Lake City students can now get physical, mental health care at West High clinic

The new clinic is available to all high schoolers within the Salt Lake City School District, as long as they have parental consent—including middle schoolers at West High’s magnet program.

After staying neutral for a year, Utah’s largest teachers union opposes diverting money from education

A proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot this fall would allow the state to use income tax money originally for education ‘to support other state needs.’

Parents challenged the Book of Mormon, the Quran in this Utah school district. Here’s what happened next

The review of the religious titles took eight months in Davis School District, which previously took heat for banning the Bible before later reversing that decision.

Utah teachers could be paid $500 to install gun safes in their classrooms

The Educator-Protector Program would encourage teachers to “responsibly secure or carry a firearm on school grounds.”

Salt Lake City school board votes to permanently close 4 elementaries

Superintendent Elizabeth Grant said change is hard—even good change. But she added that change is necessary as districts across the state and country continue to lose students.

Utah has no plans to change lowest-in-nation education spending, officials say

“We are not in a race to outspend other states,” officials said when asked if Utah plans to alter its reputation as a state with low public education spending. “Student outcomes are what truly matter, and a focus only on funding does not tell the whole story.”

Some Utah schools will soon use A.I. software to detect guns

The Utah State Board of Education approved a $3 million contract that will allow schools to install ZeroEyes, an A.I. gun-detection program.

Salt Lake City students can get free glasses at this new vision clinic, inside an elementary school

The district has long hosted routine vision screenings on school campuses. Screenings can alert parents to a problem, but unlike complete eye examinations offered at the Parkview clinic, kids don’t leave them with new glasses.