When the Utah Legislature began rolling out its budgeting priorities this week, the $65 million Gov. Spencer Cox wanted to raise the state’s per-pupil education spending was nowhere to be found.
While lawmakers did set aside $135 million for public schools — the minimum amount it is legally required to cover for enrollment growth and inflation-related costs — the earmark would not be enough to cover the 5% total hike Cox included in his own priorities last week.
But the governor said Thursday that he is optimistic the Legislature is still willing to spend more income taxes on Utah’s youth — and perhaps even more than he had proposed.
“In fact, all the conversations I’ve had have been incredibly positive, that (lawmakers) are willing to support (increasing school funding) at that level, and maybe even higher,” Cox told reporters during his monthly news conference. “That’s how positive the conversations have been.”
Utah’s per-pupil funding is consistently at or near the bottom of all 50 states.
Also in his proposed fiscal year 2024 budget, which begins next July, Cox is seeking $200 million to boost public school teacher compensation by $6,000. The Salt Lake Tribune first reported that legislative leaders have hoped to tie the teacher pay raise to legislation on school vouchers. Lawmakers also did not set aside funding for the compensation hike in their own early priorities.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Gov. Spencer Cox speaks at his monthly news conference in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022.
The governor said Thursday it would be unusual for the Legislature to earmark that kind of money for a new program this early in the budgeting process. He said newly-elected members haven’t even been sworn into their positions, and those decisions still need to be discussed during next year’s legislative session where the budget with be finalized.
“There’s nothing controversial about them not including that, that’s just the way the process works,” Cox said, adding that there is still time to have more conversations about education funding.
Utah Senate President Stuart Adams said during the rollout of their early budgeting priorities that lawmakers “have a commitment to fund education in a meaningful way.”
On Tuesday, the Executive Appropriations Committee allocated $193 million in public education funds in a rainy day account that can be used if the economy goes south.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Gov. Spencer Cox speaks at his monthly news conference in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022.
Asked about the possibility of the legislature tying the education funding boost to the creation of a school voucher program, Cox said he has always been supportive of school choice, but thinks funding teachers and public schools is a bigger priority.
“We’ve put forward some very strong proposals this year,” Cox said. “I expect there will be a school choice bill this year, and I’m hoping that we can, again, get a significant amount of funding into education so that I can support that.”
Cox also proposed spending $400 million to send one-time tax rebate checks to taxpayers, but that’s another idea lawmakers had not yet set money aside for.
Again, Cox was optimistic. He said his proposed tax rebates could come to fruition during the legislative session, though it was unclear whether or not lawmakers were aiming for a one-time or ongoing tax cut. Legislative leaders have said there would be a tax cut next year.
“I think we’ll get both,” Cox said. “I hope we’ll get both.”
