§ 53G-7-1206 — School LAND Trust Program.

Utah § 53G-7-1206

• Jurisdiction: Utah
• Title 53G: Public Education System -- Local Administration
• Ch. 53G-7: Public School General Requirements
• Part 53G-7-12: School Community Councils and Charter Trust Land Councils

Text

(1) As used in this section:
(1)(a) "Charter trust land council" means a council established by a charter school governing board under Section 53G-7-1205.
(1)(b) "Council" means a school community council or a charter trust land council.
(1)(c) "LAND trust plan" means a school's plan to use School LAND Trust Program money to implement a component of the school's success plan.
(1)(d) "School community council" means a council established at a district school in accordance with Section 53G-7-1202.
(1)(e) "Teacher and student success plan" or "success plan" means the same as that term is defined in Section 53G-7-1301.
(2) This section creates the School LAND (Learning And Nurturing Development) Trust Program under the state board to:
(2)(a) provide financial resources to public schools to enhance or improve student academic achievement and implement a component of a district school or charter school's teacher and student success plan; and
(2)(b) involve parents of a school's students in decision making regarding the expenditure of School LAND Trust Program money allocated to the school.
(3) To receive an allocation under Section 53F-2-404:
(3)(a) a district school shall have established a school community council in accordance with Section 53G-7-1202;
(3)(b) a charter school shall have established a charter trust land council in accordance with Section 53G-7-1205; and
(3)(c) the school's principal shall provide a signed, written assurance that the school is in compliance with Subsection (3)(a) or (b).
(4) (4)(a) A council shall create a program to use the school's allocation distributed under Section 53F-2-404 to implement a component of the school's success plan, including:
(4)(a)(i) the school's identified most critical academic needs;
(4)(a)(ii) a recommended action plan to meet the identified academic needs;
(4)(a)(iii) a specific listing of any programs, practices, materials, or equipment that the school will need to implement the action plan to have a direct impact on the instruction of students and result in measurable increased student performance; and
(4)(a)(iv) how each proposed expenditure in the action plan will be used to implement a component of the action plan to enhance or improve academic excellence at the school.
(4)(b) (4)(b)(i) A council shall create and vote to adopt a LAND trust plan in a meeting of the council at which a quorum is present.
(4)(b)(ii) If a majority of the quorum votes to adopt a LAND trust plan, the LAND trust plan is adopted.
(4)(c) A council shall:
(4)(c)(i) post a LAND trust plan that is adopted in accordance with Subsection (4)(b) on the School LAND Trust Program reporting website; and
(4)(c)(ii) include with the LAND trust plan a report noting the number of council members who voted for or against the approval of the LAND trust plan and the number of council members who were absent for the vote.
(4)(d) (4)(d)(i) The local school board of a district school shall approve or disapprove a LAND trust plan.
(4)(d)(ii) If a local school board disapproves a LAND trust plan:
(4)(d)(ii)(A) the local school board shall provide a written explanation of why the LAND trust plan was disapproved and request the school community council who submitted the LAND trust plan to revise the LAND trust plan; and
(4)(d)(ii)(B) the school community council shall submit a revised LAND trust plan in response to a local school board's request under Subsection (4)(d)(ii)(A).
(4)(d)(iii) Once a LAND trust plan has been approved by a local school board, a school community council may amend the LAND trust plan, subject to a majority vote of the school community council and local school board approval.
(4)(e) A charter trust land council's LAND trust plan is subject to approval by the:
(4)(e)(i) charter school governing board; and
(4)(e)(ii) budget officer whom the charter school governing board appoints.
(5) (5)(a) A district school or charter school shall:
(5)(a)(i) implement the program as approved;
(5)(a)(ii) provide ongoing support for the council's plan and responsibilities; and
(5)(a)(iii) meet state board reporting requirements regarding financial and performance accountability of the program.
(5)(b) (5)(b)(i) A district school or charter school shall prepare and post an annual report of the program on the School LAND Trust Program reporting website before the council submits a plan for the following year.
(5)(b)(ii) The report shall detail the use of program funds received by the school under this section and an assessment of the results obtained from the use of the funds.
(5)(b)(iii) A summary of the report shall be provided to parents of students who attend the school.
(6) An LEA shall record the LEA's expenditures of School LAND Trust Program funds through a financial reporting system that the board identifies to assist schools in developing the annual report described in Subsection (5)(b).
(7) The president or chair of a local school board or charter school governing board shall ensure that the members of the local school board or charter school governing board are provided with annual training on the requirements of this section.
(8) (8)(a) The state board shall provide annual training opportunities to the entities described in Subsection (8)(b) on:
(8)(a)(i) the School LAND Trust Program;
(8)(a)(ii) the responsibilities and formation of:
(8)(a)(ii)(A) a school community council consistent with Section 53G-7-1202; or
(8)(a)(ii)(B) a charter trust land council consistent with Section 53G-7-1205; and
(8)(a)(iii) as applicable, council responsibilities as described in Section 53G-7-1203.
(8)(b) The state board shall provide the training to:
(8)(b)(i) a local school board or a charter school governing board;
(8)(b)(ii) a district business administrator or a charter business official;
(8)(b)(iii) a school district or a charter school; and
(8)(b)(iv) a school community council.
(9) The state board shall annually review a school's compliance with applicable law, including rules adopted by the state board in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, by:
(9)(a) reading each School LAND Trust Program plan submitted;
(9)(b) reviewing proposed expenditures to be made from School LAND Trust Program money; and
(9)(c) conducting an annual compliance review of an LEA using a sample of schools.
(10) The superintendent shall calculate and initiate the annual School LAND Trust distribution to schools through the state board's finance system to each LEA as outlined in Section 53F-2-404.
(11) The superintendent shall administer the School LAND Trust website to provide transparency and accountability to school communities and the public of School LAND Trust plans, reports, and expenditures of trust distributions.
(12) The state board shall designate a staff member who administers the School LAND Trust Program to serve as a member of the Land Trusts Protection and Advocacy Committee created under Section 53D-2-202.

Legislative History

Amended by Chapter 424, 2025 General Session