HB 426 Has Passed: What It Means for District-Connected Programs

During the legislative session, parent advocate Tiana McCall helped gather feedback from families and track how HB 426 evolved as it moved through the Legislature. UHOPE worked with Tiana during this process and appreciated the way she helped ensure parent questions and concerns were raised.

With her permission, we’re sharing the message she sent to families after the bill passed. We’re grateful for her thoughtful engagement and for the many parents who participated in these conversations.

Letter from parent advocate Tiana McCall
Sent to involved parents on March 7, 2026

Re: HB 426 update + what happens next

Hi everyone,

First, I want to apologize for going quiet for a few weeks. I’ve been continuing to follow the bill as it moved through the Legislature and also tried several times to connect directly with the bill sponsor to talk through some of the clarifications parents had asked about. Unfortunately he wasn’t open to making additional changes.

In his public presentations of the bill, Representative Walter had said he believed the current version strikes the best balance between two goals: making sure districts are accountable when public education funds are involved, and preserving enough flexibility for programs like OpenEd and other learner-validated programs to continue.

At this point the bill has passed the Legislature and will be signed by the Governor.

The next part of this process now shifts away from the Capitol and to local districts.

Under the new law, districts will need to create written policies that explain how they will oversee these programs. Those policies have to be adopted through formal school board meetings, which means parents can attend and give public comment as those policies are written.

In many ways, this is where the details families care most about will actually take shape — things like how alignment to standards is interpreted, how progress monitoring works, and how flexibility in pacing and curriculum is preserved.

Districts also have strong incentives to keep these programs working well for families. Programs like OpenEd exist because families choose them, and districts benefit from continuing to offer options that meet different learning needs.

I’m really grateful for all the thoughtful conversations over the past few months. I heard from well over a hundred families, and that input helped shape the way these concerns were raised with legislators.

The legislative part may be wrapping up, but families still have a meaningful role in how districts implement it. In many ways, the most important conversations now happen locally, where parents can speak directly with the districts that serve them.

I’ll continue to share updates as I hear them if there are opportunities for parents to attend meetings or participate in those conversations.

Thanks again for being part of this community and for engaging in such a thoughtful way throughout the process.

Tiana McCall, LCSW
435-619-9570

Shared with permission.

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