Education budgets are among the most important topics that greatly impact students and their communities in Utah. Unfortunately, due to the economic status, this year is expected to be less convenient to the public school system. There will be less education funds for Utah schools in 2010 than there was this year of 2009. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, about $1 million dollars are expected to be cut from Utah’s education funds. This is a much smaller number than what was thought to be cuts only a few days ago. The original HB1 base budget called for a 12-13% budget cut. However, legislators backfield with available money from Utah's Educational Rainy day fund.The Rainy day funds is like a cushion that the state has. Money was set aside to help out when the state is in desperate need of it. Back up money in other words. Not all sates have rainy day funds and we are lucky enough to have one. If a state that is facing budget cuts such as the ones we are facing, and they do not have that money set aside, the impact would be more tangible. This $1 million dollar cut is about a 0.1% budget cut. Imagine 12%. Although this cut will not impact the schools as harshly as it would have previously, legislators say that we are not out of the water yet. That we have to prepare for the next year and that if you don’t feel the cut this year, you will in the next.
Currently in the funds there was about $270 million and $148 million of that could potentially be for education. Of the $194 million hole in the budget, $86.5million was taken out of the funds to help make up for money shortages not only for education but for other programs as well. This money is one time money meaning that it is not something that will be used every year. Taxes would be raised to fill the gap if legislators could not find alternative funds. That would only lengthen the recession that we are in.
The amount of money spent per student in Utah is $2,577 every year. This is called The WPU or Weighted Pupil Unit. If HB1 were to pass, the amount would drop to $2,487. $90 less than this year. Utah is ranked lowest in the country in per-pupil expenditures according to the EPE Research center. Although we are ranked very low, we are not ranked low in academic performance.
I interviewed two members of the Parent Teacher Association on the base budget bill and also, what they thought the cuts would mean for our schools and students. They do not like the bill and for good reason. Utah is already lowest in per-pupil expenditures and about 11,000 new students are expected for next year. That would mean that every class room would have more students and each student would get less one on one teacher interaction. Debi from the PTA thinks that our teachers are great and what the school lacks in money the teachers make up for with their caring for their students. They said that this was only the beginning for the bill. This only got the ball rolling and that the legislators were trying to find additional funds. Of course I spoke with Debi and Marilyn before legislators met on February 10 to discuss the budget once again.
How much money will be available in the end is still unsure but we can rest a little bit easier knowing that the public school budget cuts will not be as large as they were when the bill was first introduced.
