Valentine, R-Orem, was more blunt. In a clipped voice, the Senate president said he would call for an official audit by the legislative auditor general of school district teacher head-counts to find out what happened.

Rep. Carole Spackman Moss, D-Holladay, a retired teacher, said she is getting calls from teachers who don't really believe they will get the whole $2,500 raise.

A skeptical lot where lawmakers are concerned, "Many teachers don't think this is happening, not at $2,500. And now (after listening to the latest glitches), I don't know if they will get it," Moss said.

Teachers think the money will be "eaten up by health care costs or whatever. I think we need to make a point," she said — like letting teachers see the $2,500 on their pay stubs.

Most of the GOP lawmakers have been opposed in their re-elections by the Utah Education Association, the main teacher union in the state.

Hoping to make more friends of teachers, the majority Republicans worked extra hard in these days of state tax surpluses to ensure that teachers get a healthy, recognized pay raise.

And to see any of it — even if it is only a few hundred dollars — disappear into individual school district budgets is clearly unacceptable.

"Sounds like we may need a supplemental appropriation" to make sure each teacher indeed gets an ongoing $2,500 raise, said Senate budget chairman Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan.

Harrington and leaders also debated whether teachers must get satisfactory job evaluations to receive the raise in the first place, or continue getting it year after year.

It appears the bill says they must get satisfactory evaluations in 2007 to get the raise, but after that, it's built into their regular pay and can't be taken away, leaders were told.

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E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com