FY 2016 Appropriation

USDB helps children with hearing and/or visual impairments to become competent, caring and contributing citizens. They operate an educational resource center that supplies educational materials to other agencies serving sensory impaired children. USDB's three major programs include a residential program, self-contained classrooms, and a student consultant program.

Funding History

Funding Issues

Modular Classrooms - Orem

Enrollment growth necessitates expansion to more classrooms in the Orem area. Students there are experiencing overcrowding in existing structures. The modular classrooms will ensure adequate space to promote the essential learning environments for a USDB student. Additionally, this builds the capacity of USDB to provide Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) as mandated by the federal law, IDEA, to special education students in the State. 60 x 69 = 4,140 sq ft. Consists of: 6 classrooms, 2 storage rooms, 2 restrooms (1 men/1 women), 1 utility room or staff restroom, 1 kitchenette/break room, and 2 offices.

Teacher Steps/Lanes USDB

USDB: Annual salary adjustments for educators. The amount includes a .4334 increase of the overall steps and lanes salary table.

USIMAC (Braille Publishing)

USIMAC (Utah State Instructional Materials Access Center) is requesting these positions to ensure that the center provides materials for all students with print disabilities who are qualified under the Chafee Amendment or otherwise eligible through an IEP. This request is for four FTEs: 2.0 - instructional media specialist I (not certified) 2.0 - instructional media specialist II (certified)

USIMAC Braille Embossers (with 7788)

Funding request is for three braille embossers. Current machines have reached their life cycle limits.
Appropriation Overview

During the 2015 General Session, the Legislature appropriated for Fiscal Year 2016, $33,105,000 from all sources for Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. This is a 2.6 percent increase from Fiscal Year 2015 revised estimated amounts from all sources. The total includes $26,067,800 from the General/Education Funds, an increase of 7.5 percent from revised Fiscal Year 2015 estimates.

Appropriation Adjustments

In addition to statewide compensation and internal service fund cost increases, the following appropriation adjustments were made during the 2015 General Session:

DescriptionOngoingOne-Time Modular Classrooms - Orem$0$347,000
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$0$347,000Education Fund, One-time
Enrollment growth necessitates expansion to more classrooms in the Orem area. Students there are experiencing overcrowding in existing structures. The modular classrooms will ensure adequate space to promote the essential learning environments for a USDB student. Additionally, this builds the capacity of USDB to provide Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) as mandated by the federal law, IDEA, to special education students in the State. 60 x 69 = 4,140 sq ft. Consists of: 6 classrooms, 2 storage rooms, 2 restrooms (1 men/1 women), 1 utility room or staff restroom, 1 kitchenette/break room, and 2 offices.
Payroll Services Amendments ($15,000)$0
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
($15,000)$0Education Fund
Enactment of this legislation will reduce dedicated credit revenue for the Department of Human Resource Management internal service fund by $17,500 in FY 2016 due to a reduction of in the number of FTE utilizing payroll services. Enactment of this legislation may reduce payroll costs for the Utah School of the Deaf and the Blind by $15,000 ongoing from the Education Fund beginning in FY 2016. The reduction in utilization of the Department of Human Resource Management payroll services may cause rates to increase by $1.34 per FTE beginning in FY 2017 thus increasing ongoing costs to state agencies by a total of $9,700 from the General Fund, $600 from the Education Fund, $600 from restricted funds and accounts, $3,700 from federal funds, $1,400 from dedicated credits, and $1,500 from other funding sources.
Staffing for Growth USDB$300,000$0
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$300,000$0Education Fund
This funding would be to address growth at USDB, the following positions would be filled: 1.0 - TVI (visually impaired) 1.0 - LSL preschool teacher (listening and spoken language) 1.0 - vocational rehabiliation teacher 1.0 - ASL/English preschol teacher and PIP advisor (American sign language) 1.0 - O&M specialist 0.5 - maintenance worker 0.5 - psychology intern 0.5 - physical therapy assistant
Teacher Steps/Lanes USDB$131,000$0
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$131,000$0Education Fund
USDB: Annual salary adjustments for educators. The amount includes a .4334 increase of the overall steps and lanes salary table.
USDB Salt Lake Campus Building$45,000 ($45,000)
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$45,000$0Education Fund
$0 ($45,000)Education Fund, One-time
The new Salt Lake Center is tasked to be an early intervention center focused on the four types of education and community support provided by USDB: blind/visually impaired, deaf/hard of hearing, deaf-blind, and parent infant programs. The project will be constructed on land USDB already owns at 1655 E 3300 S and will allow USDB to provide services to students located in the Salt Lake region, with enough space for anticipated growth. The facility will also resolve current space inadequacies and eliminate the requirement for excessive and frequent relocation of classrooms in the Salt Lake area (10 student classrooms). The building will be equipped with sensory accomodations, lighting, and acoustical considerations. The building will be approximately 48,500 square feet. Prioritized #3 by the IGG subcommittee and #6 by the Building Board. Estimated O&M is $45,000.
USIMAC (Braille Publishing)$240,000$0
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$240,000$0Education Fund
USIMAC (Utah State Instructional Materials Access Center) is requesting these positions to ensure that the center provides materials for all students with print disabilities who are qualified under the Chafee Amendment or otherwise eligible through an IEP. This request is for four FTEs: 2.0 - instructional media specialist I (not certified) 2.0 - instructional media specialist II (certified)
USIMAC Braille Embossers (with 7788)$0$350,000
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$0$350,000Education Fund, One-time
Funding request is for three braille embossers. Current machines have reached their life cycle limits.

Related Services

There is an increased demand for low vision services. USDB has been able to meet this increased demand due to hiring a low vision specialist. While the number of referrals have increased, USDB's response time has decreased. Audiology continues to meet their demands with a high return rate.

Audiology: Referrals Processed
Low Vision: Referrals Processed
Audiology: Average Response Time (days)
Low Vision: Average Response Time (days)
Audiology: Return Rate
Low Vision: Return Rate

Deafblind Teacher Specialist Endorsements

Utah is the only state nationwide that offers the DeafBlind Endorsement for licensed special educators. This emphasis in speciality has provided USDB's teachers with the expertise required to meet the unique needs specific to deafblindness. This year, seven out of 11 DeafBlind Specialists (63.6%) completed this endorsement; the remaining specialists should complete their requirements during the 2014-15 school year.

Deafblind Teacher Specialist Endorsements

Expressive and Receptive Vocabulary Growth by Standard Score Points

Both of these assessments measure single word vocabulary. The increased amount of growth in the Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) program as compared to the American Sign Language (ASL)/English program is due to significantly less students with other disabling conditions in the LSL program as compared to the ASL/English program. Also, these assessment tools are adapted by our signing students. All of this data reflects significant growth overall in receptive and expressive vocabulary for all programs. When using standard scores to measure student growth, students maintaining the same standard score from one year to the next, with no change, are making one year's worth of growth in one year's time. Any increase in the standard score indicates more than one year's growth in one year's time.

Expressive and Receptive Vocabulary Growth by Standard Score Points

Statute

Statutes governing the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind can be found in Section 53A, Chapter 25 and Chapter 25b. UCA 53A-25b-101 to 501 detail the creation of the USDB, establishes the State Board of Education as USDB's governing board, details the authority and duties of the superintendent of USDB, and details student entrance, program, and assessment criteria.

The Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (USDB) were established in 1896 to address the educational needs of children with hearing or vision impairments. USDB serves children with sensory impairments from birth through 21 years of age and their families.

The $203,800 in positive nonlapsing balance for FY 2011 is due to overspending on the part of USDB.

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COBI contains unaudited data as presented to the Legislature by state agencies at the time of publication. For audited financial data see the State of Utah's Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports.