HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah — Changes to Utah law will now allow children of military service members to gain enrollment preference status at charter schools.

An amendment was signed in March that enacts provisions to create an enrollment preference for children of military service members before random lottery selections take place.

The change was made in effort to provide a fair advantage for military families who often miss open enrollment timeframes for application submittal for the upcoming school year. Typically, if the number of applications exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade level, or the charter school, the charter schools select students on a random basis. With the newly signed bill, military families who apply can be given enrollment preference.

The law was endorsed by the State Board of Education and sponsored by the state representatives. For more information, visit https://le.utah.gov/~2019/bills/static/HB0306.html.