Utah legislators will soon discuss HB 528 – Local School Board Reporting, a bill that increases transparency about open enrollment – the policy that allows students to transfer between district public schools.
This legislation increases access to information about transfers between public district schools by implementing a state-level report of open enrollment data. Ultimately, the goal of the bill is to enable parents to be better informed decision-makers about their children’s education.
According to a November 2025 Sutherland Institute report, only 11 of 41 school districts are posting on their websites the full and current open enrollment data required by law. In light of this compliance and transparency hurdle, the state can do more to ensure open enrollment transparency, which is what this bill seeks to do.
This bill offers a simple, common-sense, and overdue education choice reform that can help Utah parents and policymakers be better informed about their public school options.
For those interested in learning more about this bill, here are some frequently asked questions.
What does this bill do for open enrollment?
This bill does two main things. First, it requires local school districts to report open enrollment capacity data (Utah Code 53G-6-403(5)) directly to the Utah State Board of Education.
Second, it requires the Utah State Board of Education to aggregate and share this district data on its website. Alongside it, the bill requires the state board to also collect and share contact information for district-level open enrollment staff.
Doesn’t the law already require this?
No. There is currently no mandate for the state board to publish open enrollment data. This bill would change that.
The law currently requires local school districts to publish open enrollment capacity data on their district websites, but it doesn’t require them to do anything beyond that. This reform would require them to report it to the USBE as well.
Why do we need this bill?
It’s crucial for parents to be involved in their child’s education, including first deciding where to enroll them in school or how to educate them. To do this, parents need information. As mentioned, most Utah school districts do not yet have the required information on their websites. The reforms in this bill create a natural layer of state follow-up and oversight.
Furthermore, having the state-level reporting can help clarify where this form of choice is most prevalent, identify potential issues, and illuminate opportunities to support families.
Doesn’t Utah have a strong open enrollment law?
Yes, Utah has a strong open enrollment law, according to national rankings, including the annual Reason Foundation rankings and a 2026 American Legislative Exchange Council’s ranking.
However, the Reason Foundation’s detailed report also highlights failures in Utah’s open enrollment law, including the lack of a state-level reporting requirement. This bill seeks to correct that.
Neither ranking mentioned accounts for compliance, which is a significant issue in Utah.
Will this change how I seek open enrollment for my student?
No. The purpose of the bill is not to change current processes, deadlines, or related policies for open enrollment. However, the long-term benefit of greater transparency is that it may reveal areas for improvement. This bill seeks greater transparency to help parents as they make education choices.
