The controversial tuition tax credits proposal, albeit somewhat altered, surfaced again Monday. Rep. James Ferrin, R-Orem, asked the skeptical crowd to think of his bill as a means to finance enrollment growth of 140,000 over the next decade.

Ferrin maintained Monday that the tax credits would mean more money for public schools, while opponents say the plan only puts kids and their parents' money into private schools.

In between, there's charter schools, different than traditional public schools but not private institutions. It's these kinds of schools that proponents have had trouble getting off the ground.

Utah's approval process for charter schools has "stifled" the opportunity for public education to offer an alternative to traditional settings, said Rep. Marda Dillree, R-Farmington. She wants legislation that would allow for the creation of charter school districts. One big issue for some is governance and its impact on how charter schools are run.

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