NORTH LOGAN — Utah public schools will receive a record-breaking $134 million from the Trust Lands Permanent Funds for the 2026-27 school year, state officials announced Monday, marking a 20% increase over last year’s $111 million distribution.
The School and Institutional Trust Funds Office said the increase is driven by strong investment performance, continued revenue from trust land management and the first-year impact of Amendment B, a voter-approved change that raised the annual distribution cap from 4% to 5%.
Without the amendment, the distribution for the coming school year would have totaled an estimated $118 million, according to SITFO.
Schools statewide are expected to receive notice of their School LAND Trust Fund allocations this week. Every public school in Utah receives funding based on a per-pupil formula, giving school administrators and local school community councils early insight into grant amounts for the upcoming academic year.
In Cache County, the Cache County School District will receive approximately $3.9 million in School LAND Trust funding for 2026-27 — an increase of $676,900 from the previous year.
District officials say the funds are used to support academic intervention and innovation, reduce class sizes, expand access to technology and strengthen professional development opportunities for educators.
School LAND Trust funds are designed to supplement — not replace — traditional education funding sources. The funding model also gives local schools flexibility to address specific needs, recognizing that priorities can vary widely from one school to another.
“Utah students benefit from a trust system that delivers strong results and protects both current and future beneficiaries,” said Treasurer Marlo Oaks, who chairs the SITFO Board. “Careful land management and prudent investment decisions strengthen schools today and preserve the fund for generations to come.”
Utah’s school trust funds originate from land granted to the state at the time of statehood to support public education and other institutions. Revenue from leases, land sales and development is deposited into permanent funds and invested to generate ongoing support.
In addition to public K-12 schools, trust beneficiaries also include higher education institutions and other designated state entities, all of which are receiving increased distributions this year.
Since 1994, the combined permanent funds have grown from $50 million to $4.1 billion.
“This marks a significant milestone for Utah’s trust system and the growing impact on all trust beneficiaries,” said Kim Christy, director of the Land Trusts Protection and Advocacy Office. “The Trust Lands Administration and SITFO are doing great things to uphold trust principles and sustain maximum performance of the trust assets.”