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The state school board is no longer considering recommending closing the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind to save money.
The board voted Thursday to instead form a committee to study the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind's (USDB) function, finances and responsibilities over the next few months and report back by June 1.
The vote Thursday followed a Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee meeting Tuesday where students, teachers and parents showed up hoping to persuade lawmakers to save the program, which the state school board was looking at possibly recommending cutting to save $20 million. After that meeting, subcommittee co-chair Sen. Chris Buttars called cutting USDB "extremely unlikely." If USDB were cut, local school districts would have to provide those services.
"There really wouldn't be $20 million after doing that," board member Leslie Castle said of cutting the program Thursday. "These children are still going to need to receive education somewhere."
Steven Noyce, USDB superintendent, called it a "wise decision."
"I think they need to time to find out how the Schools for the Deaf and the Blind operate," said Noyce who had advocated against closing the school.