Utah’s public schools will gain an extra $5 million in Trust Lands funding for the 2025-26 school year — with even greater gains expected the following year due to the passage of Amendment B.
The amendment, supported by over 70% of Utah voters, raises the cap on annual distributions from the Permanent State School Fund to public schools from 4% to 5%.
The full impact of Amendment B won’t be known until the new calculation is run in September 2025. The resulting increase in distributions will be doled out to Utah schools starting in the 2026–27 school year.
That budget boost won’t be financed by taxpayers, because the Permanent State School Fund isn’t taxpayer-funded.
The fund instead stems from the federal Enabling Act, which Congress passed in 1894, granting millions of acres of land — known as Trust Lands — to Utah. The agreement requires revenue from business activities on these lands to be invested. Those earnings are then distributed among 12 key areas, including public education, health services and other state institutions.
According to a Thursday news release from the Trust Lands Administration, a total of $117.9 million will be shared among the beneficiaries next year with the bulk of that — $111.3 million — going to public schools.
This year’s growth is a result of strong financial performance from both trust lands and the investment portfolio, a spokesperson for the agency said.
“Generating revenue for our beneficiaries is what it’s all about,” Michelle McConkie, executive director of the Trust Lands Administration, said in the news release. “Trust Lands are special; they aren’t public lands, and we don’t treat them like other lands in the state. Our mandate is clear: these lands were set aside at statehood to do one thing: support education and other important state agencies.”
Each public school determines the best use of its distributions through its School Community Council, which consists of parents and educators. How the money is spent can vary depending on the school’s unique needs.
Here’s how much all beneficiaries are set to receive for fiscal 2026:
Public Schools Trust: $111,314,465
Colleges of Education Trust: $313,595
Utah Schools for the Deaf: $139,081
Utah Schools for the Blind: $920,178
University of Utah of Trust: $409,931
Utah State University Trust: $497,866
School of Mines Trust - University of Utah: $380,375
Utah State Hospital Trust: $249,377
Miner’s Hospital Trust: $3,012,476
Juvenile Justice Services Trust: $148,111
Public Buildings Trust: $0
State Reservoirs Trust: $591,915
Correction • 5:30 p.m. Nov. 18, 2024: This story has been updated to correctly describe the source of this year’s increase in Trust Lands funding for public schools.
