This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah schools will get a 4 percent increase in per-pupil spending — the largest in years, but substantially lower than Gov. Gary Herbert proposed in his budget.
Some final details remain to be hammered out, but Republican leaders have worked out the broad contours of the $14.3 billion budget.
Herbert had proposed a 6.25 percent increase in the weighted pupil unit, the lump sum that drives per-pupil spending, which would have been the largest increase in 25 years.
But Senate Budget chairman Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, said the governor was counting on a tax increase on e-cigarettes and pulling out money earmarked for transportation to get him to that point.
"He hasn't got near the money to spend" as the governor had anticipated, said Hillyard, adding, "I feel very good about" the increase.
Additionally, legislative leaders funded the anticipated enrollment growth in public schools, a $49 million price tag.
State school board chairman David Crandall said the Legislature's budget blueprint addresses the board's top priorities by funding enrollment growth and per-pupil spending.
"From that perspective, it's positive," he said. "I don't know how the education community as a whole is going to react."
There is no money allocated for Herbert's Healthy Utah proposal to expand health insurance for Utah's poor — which appears to be dead in the House — nor the Utah Cares alternative pending in the House.
One of Herbert's priorities, a request for $20 million to retrofit and replace dirty school buses, only received $2 million in the legislative proposal.
A sweeping move for prison reform that includes focusing on rehabilitation and shortening sentences for some drug crimes would be funded at $9 million.
State employees will get a 3 percent increase — a substantial bump, although employees at Utah colleges and universities will only see a 2 percent pay hike, less than the governor requested.
"Higher ed is livid about it. I'm already hearing about it," Hillyard. "Part of the problem is we ran out of money but part of the problem is they have tuition to help boost their salaries."
Prison workers will get another $2.1 million on top of the 3 percent increase to help boost lagging salaries.
Two percent cuts that were made across state government were all restored at the end of the day, Hillyard said.
Lawmakers also are planning to put $64 million into building maintenance to catch up with cuts to maintenance during the economic downturn.
Legislative leaders will meet Friday evening to firm up the budget. Some additional money may be added or moved before the Legislature adjourns next week.
Twitter: @RobertGehrke