Utah announced a record-breaking $134 million distribution for the 2026–2027 school year. The 20% increase was fueled by the voter-approved Amendment B, which allows for a 5% distribution of trust capital to reach students. At the same time, the fund’s principal continues to grow toward its $4.1 billion milestone.
This growth reflects strong trust-land revenues, continued investment gains, and the first-year impact of Amendment B. Funds are distributed through a per-pupil formula, ensuring that every public school in Utah receives a share of the trust’s earnings.
Local Councils, Local Decisions
Utah’s trust-lands system relies on School Community Councils (SCCs) to determine, on a school level, how School LAND Trust funds are used. Each council includes parents, teachers, and a principal — a collaborative, locally based decision-making body designed to address specific academic needs.
State leaders praise local empowerment and long-term protection of the trust. Since 1994, Utah’s combined permanent funds have grown from $76 million to $4.1 billion.
“Utah students benefit from a trust system that delivers strong results and protects both current and future beneficiaries.”
— Marlo Oaks, Utah State Treasurer
Why This Matters Beyond Utah
Utah is the reform benchmark the rest of the country measures itself against. The growth of the permanent fund, the constitutional discipline around distribution rate, and the SCC structure that turns trust revenue into a parent-and-teacher decision at every school — these are the moves other states are studying. The $134 million distribution is the dividend on more than three decades of holding the line.