State Rep. Jack Draxler is proposing an alternative bill concerning tax increases to fund Utah’s public education system. Among other things, Draxler’s bill proposes to use 25 percent of the revenue from an increase in the state’s income tax to provide for a raise in public school teacher salaries. Another 25 percent would go toward technology programs while the remaining 50 percent would be allocated to performance-based teacher pay raises.
Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh, President of the Utah Education Association, applauded Draxler for proposing a bill, she said, that is part of a larger conversation about public school funding.
“We’re just really grateful for Rep. Draxler’s courage in bringing this issue to the forefront for discussion,” she said. “It’s long overdue to have a conversation about what kinds of plans are we going to put in place to adequately fund public education with sustainable sources.”
Since the 2008 financial recession, the median class size for many grades has increased, with 31 students on average in high school chemistry classes in the state. Increasing classroom sizes are but one of the issues that must be resolved to improve public education in Utah, Gallagher-Fishbaugh said.
“What we have in this state is an absolute crisis in terms of underfunding our schools. So, we have to begin to address those needs. Those needs include providing adequate conditions for learning for our students [and] increasing class sizes,” she said. “We’ve had resources that have been eliminated, things like professional development [and] we’ve also seen teacher wages become stagnant. We have to remember that we have to invest in our students and invest in our work force.”
In reference to Draxler’s bill, the UEA has yet to take an official position.
