Both Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and the State Board of Education wisely asked for more than the 4.5 percent increase lawmakers granted to public education. But, even with hundreds of millions in surplus revenues, legislators were stingy with the state's schoolchildren, opting instead to funnel much of the surplus into transportation.

Education leaders' requests were reasonable and appropriate in light of the state's push toward competency-based education. They had asked for more money to boost math instruction in the fourth through sixth grades and to tutor high school students who fail the new graduation exit exam and are at risk of not getting a diploma.

The requirement that students pass the exam is unfair when the system has not adequately prepared them for it. Additional funds from this year's Legislature could have helped make up the deficiency.

On a brighter note for public education, legislators did not pass the latest version of a tuition tax credit bill that would have given parents a tax break for moving their children from public to private schools. They were commendably cautious about widely disparate predictions about how much the bill would cost public schools in the long run.

Proponents' arguments that tax credits would save the state money and alleviate crowding in public schools were, once again, unconvincing. We expect they will be back with a new proposal next year.

Legislators acted sensibly in passing the Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship bill to help hundreds of public-school students with severe disabilities attend specialized private schools.

In an interesting twist, the Legislature postponed until the spring a final vote on a bill directing educators to give priority to state education requirments ahead of the largely unfunded mandates of the federal No Child Left Behind act.

In the meantime, the governor's office and state educators will talk with the U.S. Department of Education about Utah's threat to ignore the federal reform plan. Other states and many members of Congress who are growing disillusioned with this heavy-handed federal intrusion will be watching the outcome.

With 145,000 new students expected in Utah's schools in the coming decade, we have to wonder when Utah legislators will recognize, as their constituents seem to, the need for substantial funding increases. Next year would not be too early.