Summary

Utah SB 284 (Open States or Utah Legislature) modifies provisions relating to the deployment of whole-school one-to-one educational technology in public schools and appropriates funds to support this legislation.

Legislative Analysis

UT SB 284 contains several modifications to the Smart School Technology Program. The legislation:

• removes the repeal date for the program, which was formerly a three-year pilot project;
• requires the Board of Business and Economic Development to select, through a request for proposals process, a single technology provider with integrated whole-school technology deployment experience to develop and implement a whole-school one-to-one technology deployment plan for public schools;
• requires the State Board of Education to make rules requiring schools to provide matching funds to participate in the Smart School Technology Program; and
• makes technical amendments.

The bill contains a one-time appropriation for fiscal year 2014 of $2.4 million from the General Fund to the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) to be used for the deployment of whole-school one-to-one mobile device technology.

iSchool Campus™ was selected by the GOED as the provider for the expansion of the Smart School Technology Program.

This has allowed additional schools from around the state the opportunity to implement whole-school technology, including iPads for each student and teacher. Based on a grant application process, as well as the availability of matching funds, schools were selected by the Utah State Office of Education (USOE) to participate in the pilot expansion.

UT SB 284 has advanced digital learning in Utah by supporting student access to educational technology in a systemic whole-school manner and through providing funding for this effort.

Legislative History

Detailed Vote History: Legiscan |  Open States

Approved by Governor Gary Herbert on 3/26/2013