Parent urges board to rein in USDB’s costly ‘Bridges to Community Readiness’ program as policy clears final reading

Katie Nelson, a member of the USDB advisory council and a parent of a blind child, told the Utah State Board of Education on June 5 that Bridges to Community Readiness (BCR) “excludes students who post‑high programming was created for” and amounts to “a 100% duplication of K‑12 programming and adult services.” She urged the board to shift the program’s $1,300,000 budget toward earlier interventions — hiring more educators and paraprofessionals and expanding transition planning beginning at age 14.

Nelson said BCR now serves students who received a traditional high‑school diploma and remediates literacy, math and expanded core curriculum skills that she argued should have been provided through K‑12 IEPs and through adult services. “If he reached high‑school graduation without adequate preparation for his post‑secondary plans, I would file a state complaint,” she said, describing the consequences for her 9‑year‑old son if transition services are inadequate.

Board members and staff discussed the complaint at length. Several members, including Member Davis, said board members had toured Bridges and the Utah Deaf and Blind Vocational Institute (DSBVI) and that those visits suggested the programs can be complementary rather than mutually exclusive. Dr. Michelle Tanner and other staff clarified that past IEP team decisions and district placements accounted for some student moves and that the Bridges program includes both high‑school and post‑high students on alternate diplomas.

Despite the concerns raised in public comment and follow‑up questions about eligibility and duplication, the board moved to approve the Bridges to Community Readiness Post High School Services Policy (8.23) on second and final reading. Vice Chair Wood made the motion; the board approved the policy unanimously.

What happens next: staff said they will continue coordinating with DSBVI and monitor student placements and program fit. The board and staff also discussed workforce needs, including growing the number of educators with vision loss to serve as mentors.

Provenance: topicintro SEG 039 — topfinish SEG 906