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House passes Education Budget with funding increases, narrowly avoids 220‑day mandate but allows experimental pilots
Summary
The House approved House Bill 465, the Minimum School Program budget, increasing teacher pay and K–3 class‑size funding and funding pilot experiments; a contentious floor fight focused on a proposed 220‑day school year pilot, several amendments narrowed or delayed that experiment and ultimately the House passed HB465.
The Utah House passed House Bill 465, the state’s Minimum School Program budget, endorsing pay increases and increased funding for class‑size reduction while preserving an experimental pilot provision for alternative school‑year experiments.
Sponsor Representative Garn told the chamber the budget ‘‘has nothing to do with bonding’’ and emphasized the state would ‘‘pay cash for our education program’’ and increase teacher compensation by 4.5 percent. The bill allocates new money for preschool, transportation, counselor positions and a targeted infusion for class‑size reduction.
Floor debate centered on a proposed 220‑day school year pilot. Supporters described it as part of the legislature’s strategic planning and research and development efforts; Representative Garn called the pilot an opportunity to ‘‘experiment’’ and to test restructuring ideas. Opponents said an ongoing 200‑day experiment already exists, questioned the timing and fiscal prudence of a $584,000 pilot in the same session, and raised concerns about raising public expectations without sustainable funding. Representative Atkinson warned that a $584,000 experiment was "a lot of potatoes" and urged reallocating the funds to immediate class‑size reduction.
Amendments were debated at length. One amendment deleting the 220‑day pilot passed on a close vote; subsequent substitute language restored broader "alternative experimental" grant language so districts could apply for varied pilot experiments through the State Board of Education. The House adopted numerical and technical reprints to reflect funding adjustments elsewhere in the bill and then passed HB465 by recorded vote together with the compromise pilot language.
The bill, as amended, sends funding increases to districts and preserves a process for grant‑funded local experiments rather than mandating a statewide change to the school year. Sponsors argued the package represents a significant investment in public education; opponents warned of unfunded mandates and urged prioritizing classroom resources.
