Lawmakers took a first stab at recommending cuts to education Monday, saying they want to leave many of the decisions up to local districts and re-examine a number of statewide programs.

The Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee was tasked with recommending ways to cut education by 7 percent — $166 million — though that figure very likely will change as the legislative session progresses. A majority of the committee voted to recommend taking most of that money from the "flexible allocation" line item, which would give districts discretion in deciding how to absorb cuts.

They also want to take other money from that flexible allocation and put it instead toward funding for about 14,700 additional students expected next school year. The committee recommended other cuts be made to the State Office of Education and to administrative funding.

Rep. Merlynn Newbold, who co-chairs the committee, called the recommendations a starting point and said "during the rest of our meetings this year we will hopefully be adding a good portion of that back in."

The committee also voted, however, to take a closer look in coming weeks at an additional $91-million worth of programs beyond the 7 percent cut, including money for school nurses, school buses, a pilot performance pay program for teachers, adult education and a K-3 reading program lawmakers have criticized in the last few weeks as not delivering results quickly enough.

Lawmakers have also complained that state education officials failed to give them enough detail about programs and dollars spent over the past few weeks.

"With the lack of that, the committee's left to make its best guess," said Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, who co-chairs the committee. "That's wrong, yet that's what we're left with."

State Superintendent Larry Shumway, however, said it wasn't his intention to frustrate the committee and that state board members did make specific recommendations, namely to cut from the flexible allocation if cuts must be made. He told committee members that he and state school board members "will be perfectly willing, as you move forward in this process, line by line, to work with you in making those determinations."