Committee amends DLI rule to remove July 1 deadline and narrow travel prohibition to 'overnight travel'

The committee approved first reading of amendments to R277‑488 (Dual Language Immersion program) that remove a July 1 disbursement deadline and clarify how DLI funds may and may not be used. Staff said the July 1 date was unworkable because state funding arrives that day and disbursement historically occurs afterward.

Julie Clark, the P‑3–12 English Language Arts coordinator, said the edits also narrow ineligible expenditures so DLI funding supports program implementation. During public comment Royce Van Tassell of the Utah Association of Public Charter Schools urged caution about a blanket prohibition on "travel," noting many LEAs use limited travel for student field trips tied to language instruction. The committee amended the rule wording to add the qualifier "overnight" before "travel," so the rule will disallow overnight travel paid from DLI funds while permitting day‑time, in‑state student experiences the LEA deems programmatic.

The committee voted 4–0 to advance R277‑488 as amended on first reading and forward it for continuation and final approval.