Letter to the editor: Outdated zoning laws stand in the way of progress in education

For illustrative purposes only, Montessori education model | Photo by LightFieldStudios, iStock / Getty Images Plus, St. George News

OPINION — It has cost me close to a million dollars to open a micro-school in St. George. The reason for this great expense isn’t a flood of learners (students), a brand new building on a piece of pristine property or a state-of-the-art performing arts center.

This three-year process has largely been the result of trudging through outdated zoning and occupancy laws.

I wanted to build a nontraditional kind of school — a school based on Acton Academy’s learning model. Four years ago, my wife and I moved to St. George. Five years prior, I had completed an MBA at the Acton School of Business in Austin, Texas. While in Austin, I saw firsthand the Acton Academy model and was sold.

Acton Academy is a network of schools that follows a learner-driven, project-based education model. Learners are given the freedom to find their passions and take ownership of their education with guidance from mentors. The curriculum is interdisciplinary and focuses on developing critical-thinking, problem-solving and collaboration skills.

With a firm belief that learning should be practical and applicable, I made the decision with my family to open an Acton Academy right here in St. George. As with any business, I prepared for the difficulties associated with doing so. What I did not anticipate were the major obstacles I would have to overcome in order to find a location for the school due largely to zoning laws.

For illustrative purposes only, Montessori education model | Photo by PeopleImages, iStock / Getty Images Plus, St. George News

Zoning laws and occupancy laws regulate the use of land in different areas. Zoning laws dictate what types of buildings can be built in certain areas, while occupancy laws dictate how many people are allowed to occupy a building at one time. These laws were created to protect the public and maintain the integrity of the community. However, they can also be a hindrance to innovation and progress.

In October 2019, my wife and I began our search for a property to purchase for the academy. In January 2021, we finally found a property that met the zoning requirements for a small private school. See, zoning laws in Utah are not designed with alternative schools in mind. The laws required that my school be located in a commercial zone, which limited my options for finding a suitable location.

Additionally, the occupancy laws were not flexible enough to accommodate the small class sizes of a micro-school. Many years ago, charter schools faced the same problem. Now, they are zoned for any area that a public school is zoned for. Why can’t the same be said for small private schools?

After submitting for remodel permits in late spring 2021, it took almost a full year to get our permits approved. We are now fully operational in the space as of December 2022. This lengthy process has cost significant time, money and potential learners unwilling to wait for the new facility to be completed. Fortunately, I had the resources to wait this out as we went back and forth with the city to get this done. Other education entrepreneurs may not have been able to financially recover from this situation.

I believe that these laws need to be reformed to better support innovation in education. Micro-schools offer a unique and valuable alternative to traditional education, and they should not be hindered by outdated laws. It’s essential for the laws to be reformed to accommodate the small class sizes and unique needs of micro-schools.

With strong conviction in the value of practical and applicable learning, I believe it is worth overcoming obstacles like zoning and occupancy laws. The opportunities it would create are significant and would eliminate a massive barrier to entry for educating young people throughout the state.

Though I have already pushed through the red tape, there are many more education entrepreneurs in Utah ready to launch their own schools, with nowhere practical or affordable to go. I urge policymakers to reform these laws to better support innovation in education and make it easier for schools to open and thrive.

Submitted by IAN LINDSEY, Founder and head of school, Acton Academy St. George.

Letters to the Editor are not the product of St. George News, its editors, staff or news contributors. The matters stated and opinions given are the responsibility of the person submitting them. They do not reflect the product or opinion of St. George News and are given only light edit for technical style and formatting.

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