SB 13: Removing Barriers for Microschools

This bill passed the House 63-6 and passed the Senate 23-5. Review our tracker for more information.

Starting a new business is hard enough. But when your business is new and innovative, it can lead to regulatory roadblocks. And that is the problem that many microschool founders are facing when they try to open their new school.

City and county bureaucrats don’t know how to regulate these new models of learning. Are they a traditional school? Not really because the student body is so small. Are they a daycare or preschool? No, they aren’t that either because the children are school age.

Luckily, Senate Bill 13 from Senator Lincoln Fillmore helps to clarify this confusion. 

SB 13 does two really important things. 

First, it permits microschools and similar businesses in all areas of a city or county. This is the same rule that applies to public and charter schools in the state. That means that these cool schools can be in your neighborhood. 

Second, it makes the building requirements make sense for these new models. Building codes for public schools are designed for schools with a high population density and are more restrictive than typical commercial buildings. Instead, this bill allows these schools to operate in commercial buildings, or if the school is really small, to operate out of a home. 

Removing these barriers for microschools will give Utah a thriving and diverse learning environment for kids. Families can find the education that works best for their child, and teachers can create the schools of their dreams.