Marcos is a Legislative Director for ExcelinEd in Action.
Utah’s 2026 legislative session delivered a strong slate of education policies focused on improving student outcomes, strengthening early literacy and expanding college and career pathways. Despite a tight fiscal year, Utah lawmakers considered more than 50 education bills and increased K-12 funding by more than half a billion dollars, reinforcing the state’s commitment to evidence-based instruction, transparency and long-term student success.
From aligning classroom instruction with the science of reading to expanding education scholarship accounts (ESAs) and strengthening educator supports, Utah’s 2026 education laws reflect a coordinated strategy to improve achievement and opportunity for students statewide.
Below is a breakdown of the most impactful education policies signed into law by Gov. Spencer Cox in 2026 and what they mean for students, families and teachers.
With many of ExcelinEd’s early literacy fundamental principles already in place, Utah lawmakers used the 2026 legislative session to strengthen statewide efforts and align classroom instruction with the science of reading.
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data from 2024 show only 46% of Utah’s fourth grade students score at or above NAEP Proficient in reading, signaling there is still significant progress to be made in ensuring students have foundational literacy skills.
Led by Sen. Ann Millner, SB 241 builds on Utah’s previous literacy efforts and takes a step toward further aligning classroom instruction with the science of reading. By prohibiting harmful three-cueing practices and requiring evidence-aligned instruction, Utah is ensuring that more students receive the foundational skills they need to read proficiently.
The law also requires schools to identify and address students’ reading challenges early and provide them with individualized reading plans and targeted interventions. The new law also supports literacy coaching and teacher professional development with $25.6 million in total funding to further strengthen classroom instruction.
Complementing this effort, Rep. Ariel Defay’s HB 393 launches a statewide dyslexia screening pilot program and expands educator training to better identify and support students with reading challenges. Sen. Lincoln Filmore and Rep. Tiara Auxier’s HB 312 reinforces instructional quality by directing the development of materials aligned to state standards.
Together, these laws can support students in learning to read earlier, receive timely support when they struggle and benefit from instruction grounded in proven methods.
Utah lawmakers continue to prioritize seamless transitions from K–12 education into higher education and the workforce.
Expanding on the First Credential Program from 2025 legislation, Sen. Mike McKell’s SB 152 strengthens coordination between K–12 systems and postsecondary institutions by establishing a process for sharing data for students in grades 7-12 between public schools and higher education institutions. Supporting engagement for middle and high school students in college and career readiness programs ultimately facilitates easier access to higher education admissions and financial aid, which complements the direct admissions work in the Admit Utah program.
Rep. Karen Peterson’s HB 352 improves how credits transfer between colleges and universities and creates stronger partnerships between universities and technical colleges. This alignment will position Utah students to complete a college education with fewer lost credits.
Sen. Millner’s SB 216 adds higher education accountability through a performance-based funding model. Through the new model, colleges and universities can be allocated additional funding for producing on-time graduates who enter high-demand, high-wage or high-skill careers.
At the high school level, Rep. Jordan Teuscher and Sen. McKell’s HB 218 ensures students build essential digital literacy skills like artificial intelligence literacy, cybersecurity fundamentals and online communication skills, increasingly critical competencies across all career pathways.
These efforts create a more connected system that supports student success from the classroom to college and career, ensuring students have clearer pathways and benefit from stronger alignment between education and real-world opportunities.
A strong educator workforce remains central to student success. Following a successful pilot established by state law in 2024, Rep. Candice Pierucci’s HB 146 makes permanent a mentoring and leadership program, which creates structured support for new teachers and pathways for experienced educators to grow professionally.
The law provides a one-time $2.4 million funding increase to fund, in part, stipends for teacher-leaders who provide peer mentoring and instructional coaching for teachers early in their careers. This investment will help stabilize the teacher workforce, improve instructional quality and ensure students benefit from well-supported, highly effective teachers throughout their education.
Utah lawmakers’ focus on education choice has been an established priority, and in 2023, Gov. Spencer Cox signed HB 215 into law, creating the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program. Utah Fits All provides up to $8,000 a year to eligible students through education scholarship accounts (ESAs), serving more than 15,000 students statewide.
In 2026, Rep. Pierucci’s HB 467 enhances the ESA program to expand access and remove barriers for participating families. Key provisions of the law include:
With these significant updates to the ESA program, more Utah students can access learning environments that best fit their needs, with fewer financial and administrative obstacles.
Sen. Heidi Balderee’s SB 186 establishes a study group to evaluate charter school funding structures and administrative costs.
Utah’s more than 80,000 charter school students stand to benefit from more stable, transparent funding models that support quality learning environments, and this effort is aimed at ensuring long-term funding sustainability.
In addition, the law creates a charter school revolving loan fund championed by Rep. Pierucci. When established, this fund will provide financial assistance to charter schools that may be used for school building construction, renovations, expenses related to the startup of a new charter school or the expansion of an existing charter school.
The 2026 legislative session in Utah reflects lawmakers’ thorough approach to education policy—one that prioritizes early literacy, expands access to educational opportunity beyond students’ assigned districts and aligns education with workforce demands.
These are not isolated changes. Together, they form a cohesive strategy to improve academic and life outcomes for students across The Beehive State.
As we look ahead to 2027, we can expect Utah lawmakers to take a renewed interest in charter school funding and focus on a return on investment analysis of higher education programs, building on previous higher education accountability work.
References
