Poll: Almost two-thirds of Utahns support contentious 'Utah Fits All' school voucher program

SALT LAKE CITY — While the fate of the Utah Fits All Scholarship program will likely be decided by the Utah Supreme Court, the divisive school voucher program appears to have fairly wide public support.

In a Deseret News/Hinckley Institute Poll conducted last month, 805 Utah registered voters were asked if they support or oppose "Utah Fits All."

Almost two-thirds — 62% — responded positively.

Meanwhile, 31% voiced opposition — while 8% responded, "Don't know."

In 2023, the Utah Legislature created the "Utah Fits All Scholarship," which allows parents to apply for up to $8,000 in state funding that can be used for homeschooling, to attend private school or toward other education providers.

Some have argued the scholarship takes money away from the public education system. Others say it allows parents more flexibility in determining their children's education.

Utah Fits All survey prompts mixed opinions

While over 60% of poll responders voiced some level of support for "Utah Fits All," only 28% said they "strongly support" the program. The other 34% "somewhat support" it.

On the flip side, 16% of poll responders were in the "strongly oppose" camp — just a single percentage point more than those who "somewhat oppose" the "Utah Fits All Scholarship" program.

The results of the recent Deseret News/Hinckley Institute poll seem to reflect the divisiveness regarding school vouchers across the country.

Locally, the program has faced spirited debate at the Utah Capitol, across the opinion pages and inside the courtrooms.

In 2023, the state was sued by the Utah Education Association and several individual plaintiffs after the school voucher program was enacted — giving eligible K-12 students up to $8,000 a year for private school tuition and other costs. Utah Fits All went into effect last fall.

The teachers union and its fellow petitioners argued that the program violated the Utah Constitution because it diverts income tax revenue to fund private schools.

In April, 3rd District Judge Laura Scott ruled that the school voucher program currently being utilized by thousands of Utah children was, indeed, unconstitutional.

The judge said that because the Utah Fits All program is created by the Legislature and a publicly funded educational program, it must satisfy the constitutional requirements applicable to the "public education system" set forth in the Utah Constitution.

The Legislature, added Scott, does not have the authority "to circumvent these constitutional requirements by simply declining to 'designate' the program as part of the public education system."

The judge agreed with the union and other plaintiffs in her April ruling, saying the program violated sections of the state Constitution that require the state to fund a public education system open to every student that is free of charge, and to use state income tax to fund public schools and to support children and people with disabilities.

Related:

Judge rules on outstanding matters in Utah school choice legal battle — clearing way for appeals

A judge ruled on outstanding issues in Utah Fits All Scholarship case.

Proponents of the program had argued the program did not affect the state's system of public schools but was in addition to that constitutional requirement, and that it cleared the bar of using income tax to support children.

Scott would later rule that the school voucher program could continue pending the expected defendants' appeal before the Utah Supreme Court.

The judge also ruled, in May, on a couple of outstanding "claims for relief" issued by the plaintiffs. Scott's follow-up actions essentially allowed the defendants in the case against Utah Fits All — which includes Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Utah Attorney General Derek Brown — to move forward with the appeals process.

Since last month, the Utah Fits All Scholarship program has been administered by Odyssey, a national technology company .

2025 Legislature updates to Utah Fits All

During this year's Utah legislative session, some new funding guidelines and accountability guardrails were put in place under HB455 .

Homeschooled "Utah Fits All" students 5 to 11 years old will have access to $4,000 a year, while those 12 to 18 years old will get $6,000.

Private school students are still eligible for $8,000 a year, the previous amount available to all.

The new law also limits extracurricular expenses to 20% of the scholarship amount and limits physical education expenses to an additional 20%.

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