Legislative Accomplishments

• HB 132 Internet Crimes Against Children
• HB 407 Counseling for Families of Veterans
• HJR 23 EITC / Working Family Economic Development Initiative
• $2 Million for school library books

Education

Utah’s population is growing at a minimum of an additional 10,000 students every year. This growth is expected to continue well past 2016. If we provide funding for each additional student at the current rate that we are spending now, we will need a $50 million increase every year for those 10,000 students. This is without addressing pressing education needs like lowering class size, the widening education gap between white and minority students, or the competition for and loss of Utah’s quality teachers.

Yet, Utah’s spending per student is the lowest in the nation, and we continue to face the same challenge of higher student population growth every year, year after year. We need to address long-term funding for education, without cutting that funding based on short- term surpluses.

While educating a growing population is a challenge, it is also a great opportunity with many benefits. When Utah invests in a quality education for our students and our children’s education, we also invest in a quality workforce. An educated workforce builds long-term sustainable economic development because the workforce is well prepared no matter what the needs, challenges, or conditions are in the future. Investing in quality education now means a positive return in the future for our children and ours.

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