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  • Utah
  • Arvin Johnson (bio)

funding priorities for p-121 and/or higher education

P-12

  • • Student enrollment growth funded at $50.6 million, 35 percent increase

  • • $20.6 million in new funds for the Teacher and Student Success Account (TSSA)

  • • $30 million for one-time school level student and school safety priorities

  • • $200,000 for teacher recruitment (T.H. Bell Scholarship program)

  • • 3.0 percent Salary & 4.5 percent Healthcare Increase

Higher Education2

  • • $90 (8.2 percent) million increase in funding

  • • $1.5 million increase from one-time funding to host vice-presidential debate

  • • Performance-based Funding Priorities ($29.5 million)

  • • College Access Advisors ($1 million)

  • • Technical Education Funding Priorities ($1 million)

  • • Student Growth ($5 million)

  • • Operation and Maintenance ($629,600)

  • • 2.5 percent Salary & 4.5 percent Healthcare Increase

changes to the funding formula for p-12 and/or higher education

P-12

  • • The P-12 weighted Per Pupil Unit (WPU) rose from $3,532 to $3,708, a five percent increase3

  • • The FY 2021 educational budget included a (9.7 percent) increase for public schools and higher education, which equates to $331 million.4

pressing issues affecting p-12 and higher education

The Utah Education Association expected to see the largest increase in P-12 funding in over a decade. These increases in funding were attributed to educators actively working [End Page 363] with legislatures to ensure that funding was commensurate with the needs of educators.5 In addition, the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) Board of Regents approved increased funding to ensure that members have the adequate funding to meet their institutional objectives, while ensuring that students can afford to attend.6 Despite the proposed funding increases for P-12 and higher education, funding for the FY 2021 were threatened by the potential impact of COVID-19.7 The primary funding threat emerged from a resolution issued by Governor Gary Herbert, which advises P-12 and higher education administrators to curtail spending in response to the impact of COVID-19 on Utah. This resolution could have had a significant impact on the actual budget allocations to P-12 and higher education. However, legislators were able to negotiate funding increases for public education and higher education.

alternative to traditional public school

COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on education in many states and Utah is no different. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Utah State Board of Education developed a three-phase approach to reopening public and charter schools.8 This approach includes specific guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus, addressing learning gaps, and strategies to ensure a safe and novel opening of schools. During the second phases, school officials were charged with maximizing federal funds (e.g. CARES Act funds) to ensure schools can successfully transition to new and effective ways of learning. Accordingly, school districts have enacted reopening plans that emphasize student and staff safety, while allowing different options for learning (e.g. face to face, virtual, hybrid).9 These plans are designed to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and ensure that students, faculty, and staff may return to school safely and offer flexible instructional delivery models. Although CARES funding offered support to traditional public schools, charter schools are an existential threat. Approved charter schools in Utah have remained relatively steady over recent years. The number of approved charter schools decreased by only one percent in the 2020-2021 school year, this brings the total number of charter schools to 132.10

allocation fo the state dollars/percent of the state's budget

  • • Utah's total FY 2021 budget is $20.3 billion

  • • Public Education (P-12) was allocated 29 percent ($5.8 billion) of the state budget

  • • Higher Education was allocated 12 percent ($2.4 billion) of the state budget [End Page 364]

allocation of state dollars and percent of the state budget for p-12 and higher education

The total Utah state budget for the FY 21, including all funding sources was slightly over $20 billion, a nine percent ($1.7 billion) increase from FY 20.11 Of the total $20.3 billion-dollar state budget, 29 percent ($5.8 billion) is allocated...

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