Funding public education systems is not inexpensive. More so, supporting high-quality schools in a state with a young, increasingly diverse and growing population means adequate resources are more critical today than ever before. While Utah has held education funding steady in recent years, our investment is not strong enough for every child to succeed.
Last week, Gov. Gary Herbert released his budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year. Education is “my top budget priority. It always has been since I’ve been governor, and it will continue to be,” he said.
I am often asked why, if education is the state’s top priority each year, does Utah still rank last in the nation in per-student spending and still endure teacher shortages, swelling class sizes, and middling outcomes?