On Monday, a large crowd of parents and educators gathered at the state capital to join in a rally calling for the approval of Republican Gov. Gary Herbert’s plan to increase per-pupil spending. In his plan, Herbert called for an increase of 6.25 percent with lawmakers proposing an alternative raise of just 4 percent.
The different rates mean that there is an $80 million disparity between the two plans. While he appreciates the fact that a large amount of funding is still being considered, Herbert said that Utah is able to afford his plan thanks to the state’s robust economy.
“We offered in our recommendations that now would be the time to invest in a little larger commitment to education, at least to get us back to pre-recession amounts of money spent per pupil. That has not been received to the extent that I had hoped,” he said. “We have on the table right now four percent. The difference is, we asked for $500 million dollars and they’re putting on the table $420 million dollars. It’s still a big number but it’s not as big and robust as we could and I think should do.”
The Governor is also facing opposition to his proposed pay raise for higher education employees. Those working in higher education were originally going to receive a three percent pay raise, similar to other public employees and teachers. Herbert said that he still stands by his call for pay raises.
“I recommended that everybody across the board have a three percent increase in their compensation package. I think that’s right, I think it’s the correct thing to do, and we’re able to do that,” he said. “We had some push back with some that think that higher education has the ability to raise tuition for part of their expenses, including salaries. We have a constitutional obligation with public education. So, some of the legislators think that takes a higher priority.”
Any potential deal to bridge the gap between the Governor and the legislature must be brokered by Thursday, the last day of the 2015 legislative session.
