House passes education budget bill expanding K-3 reading funds, raises WPU

The Utah House passed second substitute House Bill 2, the annual minimum school program bill, unanimously on March 10, 2011, transmitting the education appropriations package to the Senate.

Representative Newbold, sponsor of the bill, outlined several new and adjusted line items during floor discussion: direction for funding a youth-in-custody program and a state board funding formula; expansion of an adaptive testing pilot with $1,000,000 to broaden use into larger districts; designation of $7,500,000 from the K-3 reading program for computer-assisted instructional programs (and a possible additional $2,500,000 from early intervention funds); a $1,200,000 line item to enhance student at-risk supports; a $300,000 allocation for ELL literacy; $750,000 toward a sixth-grade math assessment initiative; and funds to support playground improvements at the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind.

Representative Newbold also noted an increase in the value of the weighted pupil unit (WPU) to $239 and described the bill’s consolidation of several program funds to preserve federal maintenance-of-effort requirements while expanding flexibility for local districts.

Floor members praised the bill as a positive step for public education. Representative Newbold said the package represents the “first increase that we've been able to give to the public education system” and walked members through technical line-item changes intended to direct resources for targeted programs and to ensure compliance with federal requirements.

Second substitute House Bill 2 passed the House 73-0 and will be transmitted to the Senate for further consideration.

Next steps: the Senate will consider the House-passed substitute; sponsors indicated staff and talking points were available to explain the bill’s provisions to constituents and stakeholders.