For far too long, Utah policymakers have provided stock answers about the state's per-pupil funding, which has been the lowest in the nation since 1991. The rationale has been that Utah has a lot of children and a limited number of taxpayers to fund public education.

Recently, the Utah Foundation reported that the state's effort on behalf of public schools has fallen off as tax revenues have spiked and a new wave of students is anticipated. The report, "Paradox Lost," found the state's effort has dropped since the 1990s to the national average or below. The report identifies a 1996 constitutional amendment that permitted income tax to help fund colleges and universities as one cause. Previously, that revenue was earmarked solely for public schools. Other changes in tax policy are to blame, the report says.

Utah State Board of Education says it's time to change. And for the first time in recent memory, the board is talking tough. Members are discussing a number of means to ensure the state's public school system is adequately funded, including a possible constitutional amendment, a public referendum, freezing the state property tax and even a lawsuit. This is a notable departure from the past when other state school boards and superintendents would only grouse about school finance.

The state Legislature should take notice. This means state school board members, local school board members, teachers, parents and students will no longer be satisfied with pat explanations for the state of Utah's school funding. The Legislature needs to answer why state support of school has fallen as tax collections have reached record levels. Could it be that lawmakers have become too accustomed to doing things the way Utah has always done things?

Schools need better funding to deal with the growing demands placed upon them. Utahns should want public schools to perform well under vastly changing conditions. Many students enter school with limited English proficiency. Many students enter school ill-prepared for kindergarten. Schools face the pressure of high-stakes tests, which means the vast majority of students must perform on or above grade level.

As this page has opined on many occasions, the state should have high expectations of its schools, teachers and students. But the school system requires adequate resources to achieve these goals.

Again, the state school board has just begun to explore how the state of Utah could do better by its schoolchildren. We applaud school board members for thinking outside the box and their refusal to accept that there is but one way to fund Utah schools. Credit the Utah Foundation for bringing the issue to the fore because the quality of our schools ultimately effects us all, whether we are students or the masses who will depend upon them as our future professionals and fellow citizens.