In the end, they decided $5 million of that sum would provide signing bonuses for new teachers, and $20 million would fund performance pay as decided by school districts. The money would add to $1,700 raises educators would receive as part of an overall $2.5 billion education budget.

Legislators' decision followed days of debate over whether $1 million of the $25 million should fund American Board Distinguished Teacher certification. The Senate favored the allocation, but the House voted to spend the money on performance pay and ultimately prevailed, although the idea will be studied by a legislative interim committee.

The final-hour debate capped a day of resistance and compromise as the Legislature signed off on a raft of education programs.

SB2, which rolled 12 education measures into a single bill, sparked deliberation over whether $3.5 million designated for an at-home software pilot program for preschoolers - something the House originally opposed - should go toward class-size reduction instead. But that proposal failed by a 36-38 vote in the House.

The House did succeed, however, in changing a requirement that school districts help pay for charter school students - also something representatives thought they had killed earlier in the session. They changed it so districts still would have to help pay for charter school students but their obligation would be less than originally proposed.

The Senate initially refused to accept SB2 with that and other changes, but ultimately relented.

"I think it's a good compromise," bill sponsor Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, told senators before they voted 22-3 to pass the omnibus bill.