Lawmakers should fund public-school enrollment growth, teacher supplies and online testing first - if extra money is available this year.

That's where the agreement ends between legislators and educators.

The Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee listed growth as its first priority Thursday. That move reflects recommendations by the legislative fiscal analyst and state Board of Education.

The subcommittee adopted 2006-07 base budgets that mirror the budgets for the current fiscal year. Whether those budgets increase depends on how the Executive Appropriations Committee decides to divvy up surplus revenue when those figures are available later this month.

In the meantime, the subcommittee came up with a short list of priorities:

l $37.7 million for enrollment growth in traditional schools, charter schools, the Electronic High School and programs for incarcerated youth.

l $642,000 to cover enrollment growth for the current school year.

l $5.5 million for teacher supplies and materials.

l $2.5 million for tuition grants and bonuses for prospective and current math and science teachers.

l $10 million for building needs in fast-growing school districts.

l $200,000 for bonuses for exemplary teachers.

l $300,000 to boost geographic education.

l $300,000 for technology that assists people with disabilities.

Left off of the subcommittee's list were key state-board requests, including $16 million to strengthen math instruction in grades four through six and $6 million to offer extra help for students who fail the high school exit exam.

Gov. Jon Huntsman's budget included $14 million for the math program.

"I'm appalled," state school board Chair Kim Burningham said. "If indeed we are making decisions that we're putting surplus revenue into transportation and not in the recommendations from the governor, then things like an improved math program are lost. It's a mistake."

Subcommittee members also resisted specifying how much money they want to increase salaries for teachers and other school employees.

"Until executive appropriations determines what there is to offer all public employees, our [action] could be quite meaningless," said Rep. Gordon Snow, R-Roosevelt, the committee's co-chairman.

rlynn@sltrib.com