Earlier this year, the Utah legislature enacted the nation’s most sweeping school-voucher plan. The statewide program offered students vouchers worth between $500 and $3,000, depending on family income. School-choice opponents immediately filed suit and began gathering signatures on a petition to hold a referendum to repeal the voucher plan. Then the state legislature enacted a second law that amended aspects of the plan and provided for its implementation, including specific deadlines for the state board of education to approve guidelines for administering the vouchers. Last week, the state board declined to comply with the legislature’s requirement to approve those guidelines, citing the possibility of a referendum and arguing that the second version of the voucher plan shouldn’t be implemented until the voters have their say on the overall concept.

Now, it appears that’s what will happen — the question of whether to offer school vouchers will be decided by Utah voters in a November referendum.

The state school board’s decision not to implement in the may itself be challenged in court , but for now families do not seem likely to be able to use vouchers at the schools of their choice for the 2007-08 academic year. Utah’s free-market think tank, the Sutherland Institute , has much more on the issues involved. Keep your eye on this battle, a critical one in the national campaign for educational freedom.