Bill regulating microschools in Utah heads to governor’s desk

SALT LAKE CITY — A bill about how to regulate microschools in Utah is now sitting on the governor’s desk.

S.B.013, sponsored by state Sen. Lincoln Fillmore, R-Salt Lake City, defines microschools and helps cities and counties regulate them. 

“Right now, those [microschools] can either be regulated as schools or daycare centers, but they’re not either one of those. And as this movement is growing across the state and across the country it’s important to provide cities some guidance,” said Fillmore.

The bill states that anyone can open up a school in their home with up to 16 children or a commercial building with up to 100 kids without having to follow the curriculum and regulations of larger schools.

Under Fillmore’s bill, a microschool could open in any kind of zone. The state would regulate it less like a school and more like a business.

“There’s no sense in requiring a small 1500 square foot space to be classified as E occupancy. So we just regulate it like a B occupancy clinic the same way that we would a tutoring center or something like that that’s just like a regular business.”

The state legislature approved the bill last week and it now awaits Gov. Spencer Cox’s signature.

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