Lawmakers Approve $76M Infusion for Public Ed

None by KCPW

Base Budgets Set the Bar for Coming Legislative Session

(KCPW News) Utah lawmakers agreed to a 76-million infusion of new money into public education today. The money accounts for growth in the student population and several million additional dollars to fulfill a promise that every teacher would receive a $2,500 raise.

Legislative leaders today approved the base budget for public education during a meeting of the executive appropriations committee. However, they can - and most certainly will - add to that base budget with a host of bills and line-items during the coming session.

The process of establishing a base budget prior to the start of the legislative session has backfired in recent years, since people don't always realize how much new money is already included in the base line.

So Senate Majority Leader Curt Bramble wants to make certain the education community knows how well it's being treated:

"Last year we went through this same process and many in the education community didn't recognize it as new money - it didn't count," says Bramble. "And I want to make sure the public understands that this is new money going to public education."

In theory, establishing a base budget leaves legislators more time to debate the finer points of education funding, including programs to address the achievement gap or increase teacher salaries.

Legislative leaders say a significant portion of the state's budget surplus for 2009 will be spent on education.

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