Legislators running low on funds for budget items

Also thrown into the mix are a handful of business tax credits pushed by the Senate. A property-tax reduction talked about early on in the session, however, appears to be off the table.

The deciding factor may be the size of the new revenue estimates. Enough additional money could make the sales tax bill more palatable to the Senate and the income tax bill more attractive to the House.

Public education:

The Joint Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee budget recommendations include shot in the arm for teacher salaries as well as bonuses. Lawmakers want $88 million to fund a 4 percent increase in the weighted pupil unit (WPU), the state's basic per student funding formula.

WPU money goes primarily to teacher salaries, but legislators are also recommending an additional $68.7 million for $2,500 raises for educators, elevating the entire pay scale in each district.

On top of that, lawmakers want $25 million to go toward one-time teacher bonuses — $1,000 each for every classroom teacher.

Leaders are also asking for $30 million to fund Pro-Excel, a program aimed at attracting math, science and special education teachers with additional pay.

Patti Harrington, state superintendent of public instruction, said she is very pleased with the budget recommendations because it is a big step towards making teacher compensation comparable with other western states.

She said some teachers could stand to get as as 13 percent raises.

"We could be getting into the competitive range now — it should at least keep Utah educated students here rather than seeking (teaching) positions in other states and could attract those from out of state," Harrington said.

The full-day kindergarten initiative was absent from the committee's recommendations, but committee leaders are hopeful legislative leadership will have the primary role in getting it passed.

Higher education:

The subcommittee granted higher-education leaders' No. 1 priority — $8 million for faculty retention.

Coming in as the number two priority is a funding formula that would take some tuition burden off of students. The proposal could save students statewide $3.8 million by limiting the percentage of tuition dollars that would fund faculty salaries. The new system would require the state to pay 75 percent of those compensation dollars and students would only pick up 25 percent.

The committee's proposed budget — totalling $64 million in ongoing costs and $37 million in one-time money — also included $3 million to turn Utah Valley State College into a university. The rest of the needed funds — about $7 million — will likely be included in a bill to rename the school and change its mission.