- Utah families gather for Utah Fits All Scholarship rally in conjunction with National School Choice Week.
- Utah Attorney General Derek Brown delivers keynote speech at rally.
- The fate of the state's school voucher program will likely be decided by the Utah Supreme Court.
So is Derek Brown an attorney/politician who happens to be a talented pianist — or a talented pianist who happens to be an attorney/politician?
You make the choice.
“Choice,” of course, was an oft-spoken word at Saturday’s “Celebrating the Utah Fits All Scholarship” rally at Juan Diego Catholic High School, where Utah Attorney General/pianist Derek Brown was the keynote speaker.
Keynote speakers typically deliver their message behind a stationary lectern.
But Utah’s top law enforcement officer sat at the keys of a black grand piano — pounding out Disney tunes and other classical pieces while simultaneously touting Utah’s school choice voucher program.
Brown was joined onstage at times Saturday by state Sen. Kirk Cullimore, R-Draper. The veteran lawmaker/attorney is also a talented musician — duetting with Brown on both the piano and the violin.
Cullimore has been one of the scholarship program’s strongest supporters in the Legislature.
Saturday’s musical messages added a festive vibe to the Utah event held in conjunction with National School Choice Week. But Brown’s connection to the Utah Fits All Scholarship goes beyond piano tunes and speeches.
Earlier this month, his office filed a brief with the Utah State Supreme Court arguing that the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program is constitutional.
“The program was enacted by the Utah Legislature and provides up to $8,000 per year to eligible students for approved educational programs or services outside the public school system,” wrote Brown on his X account.
“Our brief explains that the Utah Constitution permits the Legislature to both maintain a system of public education and to create additional educational options through statute.”
That recent legal action was prompted by 3rd District Judge Laura Scott’s ruling last spring that the school voucher program currently being utilized by thousands of Utah children was unconstitutional.
In 2023, the state was sued by the Utah Education Association and several individual plaintiffs after the school voucher program was enacted.
Last year, Scott said that because the Utah Fits All program is created by the Legislature and a publicly funded educational program, it must satisfy the constitutional requirements applicable to the “public education system” set forth in the Utah Constitution.
The Legislature, added Scott, does not have the authority “to circumvent these constitutional requirements by simply declining to ‘designate’ the program as part of the public education system.”
Brown: Providing Utahns with a system ‘that fits you’
At Saturday’s rally, Brown said parents have the right to choose “and figure out what works for your kids” and offer the best opportunities.
“Our job — as moms and dads and legislators and senators and the attorney general — is to make sure that we have a system here in Utah that fits you,” he added.
A person would never go to a shoe store and buy shoes three sizes too large, said Brown. The problem is not the size of the foot — it’s the size of the shoe. So instead, choose to buy shoes that fit.
“And, my friend, that is what we try to do for you,” he said, referencing the scholarship program that’s now in front of the courts.
Utah Education Fits All Executive Director Robyn Bagley said during Saturday’s rally that the educational scholarship is changing lives in Utah.
“It’s making a difference in our children’s lives and giving them the opportunity to thrive and to love learning and to find pathways to success.”
Scholarship recipients add their voices
Saturday’s event included several Utahns who say they have been the beneficiaries of the Utah Fits All school voucher program — including the Hansens, a family of seven who have utilized choice to meet the unique academic needs of each of their school-aged children.
Meanwhile, Juan Diego Catholic High School junior Mumo Kavila said the scholarship has allowed him to enroll at the private secondary school in the southeast corner of Salt Lake County.
“Opportunities can change your life — but only if you’re given the chance to step through the door,” he said. “Because of Juan Diego High and the Utah Fits All Scholarship, I was given that chance.
“And it’s shaped me in ways that I never expected.”
A Soaring Eagle athlete, Kavila said enrolling at Juan Diego High has prompted personal growth.
“Mentally, I’ve learned the importance of faith, diligence and pushing myself (to new levels). Physically, I’ve learned how to improve myself, on and off the soccer field.”