H.B. 270

1

UTAH SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND
2 RESEARCH INITIATIVE CENTERS
3 2008 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Chief Sponsor: Ron Bigelow
6 Senate Sponsor: Lyle W. Hillyard
7
8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This bill creates an optional grant program to provide an extended year for math and
11 science teachers through the creation of Utah Science Technology and Research
12 Initiative (USTAR) Centers.
13 Highlighted Provisions:
14 This bill:
15 . creates the USTAR Centers Program to provide grants to charter schools and school
16 districts to pay for costs relating to adopting the program;
17 . requires the State Board of Education to solicit grant proposals from charter schools
18 and school districts and award grants on a competitive basis;
19 . directs the State Board of Education, in selecting grant recipients, to consider:
20 . certain benefits that may be achieved by a school district's adoption of the
21 program; and
22 . the unique circumstances of charter schools and school districts; and
23 . requires the State Board of Education to make a report for three years.
24 Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
25 This bill appropriates:
26 . as an ongoing appropriation subject to future budget constraints, $11,000,000 from
27 the Uniform School Fund for fiscal year 2008-09 to the State Board of Education.

28 Other Special Clauses:
29 This bill takes effect on July 1, 2008.
30 Utah Code Sections Affected:
31 ENACTS:
32 53A-17a-154, Utah Code Annotated 1953
33
34 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
35 Section 1. Section 53A-17a-154 is enacted to read:
36 53A-17a-154. Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative Centers Program.
37 (1) (a) The Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative (USTAR) Centers
38 Program is created to provide a financial incentive for charter schools and school districts to
39 adopt programs that result in a more efficient use of human resources and capital facilities.
40 (b) The potential benefits of the program include:
41 (i) increased compensation for math and science teachers by providing opportunities
42 for an expanded contract year which will enhance school districts' and charter schools' ability to
43 attract and retain talented and highly qualified math and science teachers;
44 (ii) increased capacity of school buildings by using buildings more hours of the day or
45 more days of the year, resulting in reduced capital facilities costs;
46 (iii) decreased class sizes created by expanding the number of instructional
47 opportunities in a year;
48 (iv) opportunities for earlier high school graduation;
49 (v) improved student college preparation;
50 (vi) increased opportunities to offer additional remedial and advanced courses in math
51 and science;
52 (vii) opportunities to coordinate high school and post-secondary math and science
53 education; and
54 (viii) the creation or improvement of science, technology, engineering, and math
55 centers (STEM Centers).
56 (2) From monies appropriated for the USTAR Centers Program, the State Board of
57 Education shall award grants to charter schools and school districts to pay for costs related to
58 the adoption and implementation of the program.

59 (3) The State Board of Education shall:
60 (a) solicit proposals from the State Charter School Board and school districts for the
61 use of grant monies to facilitate the adoption and implementation of the program; and
62 (b) award grants on a competitive basis.
63 (4) The State Charter School Board shall:
64 (a) solicit proposals from charter schools that may be interested in participating in the
65 USTAR Centers Program;
66 (b) prioritize the charter school proposals and consolidate them into the equivalent of a
67 single school district request; and
68 (c) submit the consolidated request to the State Board of Education.
69 (5) In selecting a grant recipient, the State Board of Education shall consider:
70 (a) the degree to which a charter school or school district's proposed adoption and
71 implementation of an extended year for math and science teachers achieves the benefits
72 described in Subsection (1);
73 (b) the unique circumstances of different urban, rural, large, small, growing, and
74 declining charter schools and school districts; and
75 (c) providing pilot programs in as many different school districts and charter schools as
76 possible.
77 (6) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (6)(b), a school district or charter school may
78 only use grant monies to provide full year teacher contracts, part-time teacher contract
79 extensions, or combinations of both, for math and science teachers.
80 (b) Up to 5% of the grant monies may be used to fund math and science field trips,
81 textbooks, and supplies.
82 (7) Participation in the USTAR Centers Program shall be:
83 (a) voluntary for an individual teacher; and
84 (b) voluntary for a charter school or school district.
85 (8) The State Board of Education shall make an annual report during the 2009, 2010,
86 and 2011 interims to the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee describing the
87 program's impact on students and its effectiveness at achieving the benefits described in
88 Subsection (1).
89 Section 2. Appropriation.

90 As an ongoing appropriation subject to future budget constraints, there is appropriated
91 from the Uniform School Fund for fiscal year 2008-09, $11,000,000 to the State Board of
92 Education to fund the Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative (USTAR) Centers
93 Program created in Section 53A-17a-154 .
94 Section 3. Effective date.
95 This bill takes effect on July 1, 2008.




Legislative Review Note
as of 1-9-08 7:11 AM

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel