PLEASANT GROVE, Utah — Kelli Fogelberg homeschools her five young children at her house in Pleasant Grove.
“We're a family of seven on a single income, and so we are pinching pennies everywhere we can,” she said. “Most of our day is them learning through real-life situations or learning through what they're actually interested in so it actually sticks. We're able to really adapt and tailor it to each of our kids.”
On Friday, she found out that her family would receive thousands of dollars through the Utah Fits All scholarship program.
“My oldest son is so excited to be able to take coding classes,” she said. “My second is so excited to be able to do fencing and martial arts, and then my third, my little girl is excited to do ballet.”
Utah Fits All received 27,270 applications; out of the 10,000 awards given, 9,890 went to students in the lowest income level and 110 went to those in income level 2.
“It can go towards home school expenses, micro-school costs, private school costs, basically the education costs for your child,” said Candice Pierucci, Representative for District 49. “Truly for individuals who choice has historically not been a big option for them.”
For those more than 17,000 families who didn’t get a scholarship, Pierucci encourages them to help advocate for more funding next year.
“Please keep applying,” she said. “Please reach out to your legislator and let them know that you applied and you really would support additional funding for this.”
Renée Pinkney, President of the Utah Education Association, wrote the following statement to FOX 13 News:
“Utah must prioritize public education students, not take money away from them. Tax dollars should go to schools that are accountable to the public. Private school vouchers lack the academic and fiscal accountability required by public schools.
The Utah Education Association (UEA) firmly believes in strengthening public education, where 90 percent of our children are educated.
Instead of diverting millions to private schools through vouchers, we should directly invest in public education to reduce class sizes and enhance one-on-one interactions that foster better learning environments for students.
The UEA believes Utah's students, no matter the color of their skin, deserve to attend welcoming and safe neighborhood public schools in every ZIP code, fully staffed with dedicated educators and able to provide students with the resources they need to thrive and reach their full potential.”
However, the demand for the scholarship shows how high the need is for choice in Utah, said Robyn Bagley, Executive Director of Utah Education Fits All.
“This scholarship is less than what we spend per pupil in the public education system, so why wouldn't we support it? What difference does it make as long as that child is thriving?,” she said. “It says a lot for the need for parental choice. I mean, parents are the primary educators of their Children and in today's world, a lot of parents have concerns. They want to be in charge of their child's pathway. They want to be the ones choosing the experiences, having the values taught that are important to their family.”
