R277-802. Education Enrichment Program for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Blind, and Visually Impaired Students

R277.  Education, Administration.

R277-802.  Educational Enrichment Programs for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Blind, and Visually Impaired Students.

R277-802-1.  Authority and Purpose.

          (1)  This rule is authorized by:

          (a)  Utah Constitution Article X, Section 3, which vests general control and supervision over public education in the Board;

          (b)  Subsection 53E-3-401(4), which allows the Board to make rules to execute the Board's duties and responsibilities under the Utah Constitution and state law;

          (c)  Section 53E-8-407, which establishes the Educational Enrichment Programs for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students and Blind and Visually Impaired Students; and

          (d)  applicable provisions of Title 53E governing the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.

          (2)  The purpose of this rule is to:

          (a)  establish procedures and standards for the administration and use of the Educational Enrichment Programs for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students and Blind and Visually Impaired Students;

          (b)  ensure equitable statewide access to family friendly enrichment opportunities and supports for eligible deaf, hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired, and deafblind students and families;

          (c)  support enrichment opportunities statewide regardless of participation in a USDB campus program or service;

          (d)  establish procedures for the administration and review of applications submitted by external entities to USDB and provide a transparent and consistent process for evaluating USDB Enrichment Grant funding requests;

          (e)  establish advisory council and subcommittee responsibilities related to Educational Enrichment Program and USDB Enrichment Grant funding recommendations; and

          (f)  authorize the development and use of evaluation tools, rubrics, and procedures developed in consultation with the advisory council.

 

 

R277-802-2.  Definitions.

          (1)  "Advisory council" means the Advisory Council for the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind established in Section 53E-8-206.

          (2)  "Educational enrichment programs" means the Educational Enrichment Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students and the Educational Enrichment Program for Blind and Visually Impaired Students established in Section 53E-8-407.

          (3)  "Eligible student" means a student who is deaf, hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired, or deafblind and eligible for services from USDB in accordance with Section 53E-8-401.

          (4)  "Staff screening" means the initial administrative review of an application to verify eligibility, completeness, minimum requirements, and alignment with applicable program criteria.

          (5)  "Subcommittee" means a committee designated by the advisory council to review and evaluate enrichment requests before advisory council consideration.

 

R277-802-3.  Enrichment Program Administration.

          (1)  USDB shall administer the Educational Enrichment Programs described in Section 53E-8-407 for eligible students served statewide by USDB.

          (2)  In accordance with Section 53E-8-206, the advisory council may establish subcommittees to review matters related to the Educational Enrichment Programs and make recommendations to the advisory council.

          (a)  A subcommittee representing the deaf and hard of hearing community may review and make recommendations regarding the distribution of funds from the Educational Enrichment Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students.

          (b)  A subcommittee representing the blind and visually impaired community may review and make recommendations regarding the distribution of funds from the Educational Enrichment Program for Blind and Visually Impaired Students.

          (c)  Recommendations of a subcommittee shall be submitted to the advisory council for consideration before submission to the Board.

          (3)  Enrichment funds may be used for activities or supports that promote:

          (a)  educational access;

          (b)  communication access;

          (c)  assistive technology;

          (d)  independent living skills;

          (e)  transition services;

          (f)  family engagement and support;

          (g)  interscholastic sports;

          (h)  enrichment opportunities, including:

          (i)  experiential learning;

          (ii)  educational travel;

          (iii)  competitions;

          (iv)  cultural activities; and

          (v)  community-based instruction; or

          (vi)  other purposes consistent with applicable law and Board-approved program objectives.

          (4)  Educational Enrichment Program funds may not be approved or used for:

          (a)  general entertainment, recreational, or leisure activities that do not have a documented, primary educational objective directly tied to the student's documented educational needs;

          (b)  standard family vacations, personal travel, or commercial events;

          (c)  items or services that are purely decorative, cosmetic, or intended for general household use; or

          (d)  out-of-state travel, unless the applicant demonstrates that a comparable educational or competitive opportunity is entirely unavailable within the state of Utah.

 

R277-802-4.  Annual Budget Preparation.

          (1)  USDB shall prepare an annual proposed budget for the Educational Enrichment Programs for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students and Blind and Visually Impaired Students.

          (2)  The advisory council shall review and provide recommendations to the Board regarding the proposed annual Enrichment Program budget.

          (3)  The annual Enrichment Program budget recommendation process shall begin each spring.

          (4)  Advisory council budget recommendations shall be submitted to the USDB Standing Committee for consideration no later than the Standing Committee's May or June meeting.

          (5)  Nothing in this section limits the Board's authority regarding final approval of budgets and expenditures.

 

R277-802-5.  USDB Enrichment Grants.

          (1)  Within the annual budget described in Section R277-802-4, USDB may allocate a specific portion of program funds for direct grants to eligible entities.

          (2)  A USDB Enrichment Grant application must be directly related to a documented educational need related to the student's eligibility for USDB services and explicitly align with one or more of the following categories:

          (a)  expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) mastery, including orientation and mobility, independent living skills, compensatory access, and assistive technology operations;

          (b)  communication, language, and literacy access, including braille instruction, assistive technology and specialized language development tools;

          (c)  social engagement experiences such as leadership opportunities, transition and career readiness programs, cultural experiences, communication development, and access to communication-rich environment; or

          (d)  experiential learning, including regional or national academic competitions, specialized deaf or blind athletic events, or state core-aligned educational travel, and other activities that promote academic success.

          (3)  Application Requirements. To be considered for a USDB Enrichment Grant, an applicant shall submit:

          (a)  a detailed description of the activity, item, or service requested;

          (b)  an itemized budget detailing exactly how the requested funds will be expended; and

          (c)  a statement outlining the anticipated educational impact or skill development directly related to the student's sensory disability.

          (4)  Limitations and Caps.

          (a)  USDB, in consultation with the advisory council, may establish a maximum fiscal cap per entity per fiscal year for USDB Enrichment Grants.

          (b)  USDB grant funds may not be used to supplant services or technologies that are the legal responsibility of the student's local education agency (LEA) of record under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

          (c)  grant funds may not be awarded retroactively for activities or items purchased before formal approval by USDB.

 

R277-802-6.  USDB Grant Application Review Process and Cycles.

          (1)  USDB shall establish a review process that includes:

          (a)  staff screening of applications;

          (b)  subcommittee review and evaluation; and

          (c)  advisory council consideration and recommendation to the Board.

          (2)  USDB shall develop and utilize evaluation tools, rubrics, procedures, or scoring methodologies in consultation with the advisory council.

          (3)  USDB may establish separate procedures or evaluation tools for different student populations, programs, or request categories.

          (4)  Evaluation tools, rubrics, procedures, and scoring methodologies developed under Subsection (3) are not required to be incorporated into Board rule.

          (5)  USDB Enrichment Grants shall support eligible students statewide regardless of participation in campus-based programs or services operated by USDB.

          (6)  USDB shall establish at least three enrichment review cycles annually.

          (7)  Advisory council review periods shall occur during:

          (a)  September;

          (b)  December; and

          (c)  March.

          (8)  USDB shall publish application deadlines and review schedules in advance of each review cycle.

          (9)  Subcommittee meetings shall occur sufficiently in advance of advisory council meetings to allow review and recommendations.

          (10)  USDB may establish expedited procedures for emergency or time-sensitive requests.

 

R277-802-7.  Administrative Costs and Program Support.

          (1)  A reasonable portion of educational enrichment program funds may be used for administrative and program support costs reasonably necessary for implementation of the Educational Enrichment Programs.

          (2)  Allowable administrative and program support costs may include:

          (a)  salaries, wages, and benefits for personnel supporting enrichment activities or administration of the Educational Enrichment Programs;

          (b)  program coordination and facilitation;

          (c)  technical assistance and applicant support;

          (d)  outreach and communication;

          (e)  application review and processing;

          (f)  compliance monitoring and reporting;

          (g)  data collection and program evaluation; and

          (h)  other activities reasonably necessary for effective administration and implementation of the Educational Enrichment Programs, in accordance with applicable law.

 

R277-802-8.  Conflict of Interest.

          (1)  Advisory council members or subcommittee members may not vote on any matter that would provide a financial benefit to the member or otherwise create the appearance of a conflict of interest under applicable law.

          (2)  USDB shall establish procedures for disclosure of conflicts, abstentions, and conflict-of-interest management.

 

R277-802-9.  Reporting and Accountability.

          (1)  USDB shall maintain records regarding Enrichment Program expenditures and USDB Enrichment Grant applications, awards, and reimbursements.

          (2)  USDB shall provide periodic reports to the Board and advisory councils regarding program implementation and funding activity.

          (3)  USDB may require recipients to provide documentation demonstrating appropriate use of enrichment funds.

          (4)  Program funds shall be distributed and administered in accordance with applicable Board policies, financial procedures, procurement requirements, and program administration requirements.

          (5)  USDB may deny, suspend, or recover enrichment funds for noncompliance with applicable requirements or misuse of funds.

 

R277-802-10.  Funding.

          (1)  The programs described in this rule shall be funded from revenues distributed from permanent funds established for the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind in accordance with applicable law.

          (2)  Program expenditures shall comply with Board-approved budgets and applicable state law.

 

KEY:  USDB, educational enrichment programs, deaf, hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired, advisory council.

Date of Last Change:  October 8, 2026

Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law:  Utah Constitution Article X, Section 3; 53E-3-401; 53E-8-206; 53E-8-407; Title 53E Chapter 8

Status of Rule

Effective October 8, 2026

Five-year review October 8, 2031

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Related Utah Law

Public Education Statutes
None

Other Statutes
None

USBE Administrative Rules
R277-100, Definitions for USBE Rules

Related Federal Law

None

 

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