Legislative wrap: Education
Public schools at press time were expected to receive $441 million, with $100 million in a savings account in case the economy goes south, according to House estimates. But the big issue was an omnibus bill that combined more than a dozen education bills into one.
Though some lawmakers and education leaders didn't like the idea of the bundled bills, the measure resulted in the nearly $2.5 billion Minimum School Program Act, which includes a 2.5 percent boost to the WPU (the state's basic school funding formula) and a $1,700 raise for teachers.
A number of reform bills and pilot programs also were included in the omnibus, including $2.9 million to provide up to $600 stipends for special educators' extra work; $6.9 million to let math and science teachers work year-round; and $5 million to give $4,100 in extra salary to math, science and technology teachers; $3.5 million to give software to families to prepare preschoolers for kindergarten; and $100,000 to offset International Baccalaureate program costs.
Revisions also were made to how charter schools are funded, essentially replacing some state funding with school district money.
Recent comments
I wish people posting would realize that the $1,700 is not per year...
Element of Change | March 7, 2008 at 2:43 p.m.
Hear! Hear!
Shame on the "leaders" who pushed...
Karen | March 6, 2008 at 4:38 p.m.
Anything that can be done to improve Utah teachers' wages is...
Teachers' $$ is good, but... | March 6, 2008 at 2:47 p.m.
