Senate advances base education budget, says growth items will be addressed in appropriations

The Utah Senate on Jan. 19 moved Senate Bill 3 — the base education appropriation — forward after a floor debate about whether certain growth-driven items tied to weighted pupil units (WPUs) should be included in the base bill or handled later in the Appropriations Act.

Senator Stevenson, sponsor and chair of the public education subcommittee, said the bill provides a base budget of roughly $2.4 billion and lists line items reflecting last year’s base and expected student growth. Stevenson described the bill’s funding allocations in summation: “This bill provides for funding $60,000,000 in WPU enrollment growth, nearly $9,000,000 in charter school growth, $16,600,000 in voted and board leeway program increases, and there’s a $24,000,000 local revenue offset.”

Several senators, including Senator Hale and Senator Hilliard, pressed the sponsor about omitted WPU-driven items and asked for assurance those areas would be addressed. Stevenson said committee members were divided about making floor changes and that co-chairs and the appropriations process would handle remaining adjustments; he urged passage of the base bill to avoid lengthy floor-level appropriations debate.

Senator Stevenson moved final passage; the clerk recorded 28 yeas, 0 nays and 1 absent and President Valentine declared SB 3 passed and sent to the House for further action. The sponsors and some critics said watch for the Appropriations Act later in the session to resolve remaining WPU-driven requests and amendments.

The immediate effect is passage of the base appropriation; details and any additional growth funding will be considered in the appropriation bill that follows later in the session.