Governor's priorities: 6-8% wage increase for educators is No. 1

TAYLORSVILLE — Boosting teacher pay 6 percent to 8 percent a year over the next several years will be Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s top priority as he crafts his 2008 budget priorities, Huntsman told education leaders and lawmakers gathered Tuesday at his Education Summit.

"I don't want to sound like a one-string banjo and I do know I do ... but I ain't going to rest until I get this one right," Huntsman said of teacher compensation.

He said average pay for those professionals lags $5,000 to $7,000 behind teachers in comparable states. "What we present in our budget very much reflects these priorities, which I think are very, very important in making us the best in what we can be."

Huntsman also mentioned two other top priorities: closing the gap on the number of Utahns who lack health insurance and air quality.

Yet last week's Election-Day defeat of private school tuition vouchers raises a question: Will lawmakers clamor to put forth more money beyond current promises for teachers, especially since pro-voucher, GOP legislative leaders went toe-to-toe with the state's largest teachers union on the issue?

Both House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, and Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, said there would be no backlash from GOP lawmakers.

"Over the last three years, we have given public education historic funding, and we deserve some credit for that, as well," Curtis said.

Will there be any retribution to public education because of the voucher defeat? "Not from the Senate," Valentine promised.

Vik Arnold, director of government relations for the Utah Education Association, said he looks forward to a great year and expects legislative leaders "to be as magnanimous and gracious as they would have expected us to be" if vouchers had passed.

"I'm hopeful with a continued strong economy, we'll see another great year for public education funding for sustained increases," Arnold said. "The last two years have been good years. I think the public made it clear they, too, want to see the Legislature ... invest in our public schools."

Huntsman, who signed into law the voucher bill overturned at the polls, also mentioned vouchers Tuesday at the Education Summit, held at Salt Lake Community College. "We had a great debate about vouchers awhile ago. Nothing like an expression of the will of the people to help you move forward," he said.

Huntsman will make public his budget in early December. His education priorities were derived from his visits with 37 of Utah's 40 school districts.