The bills could have their first floor debates today.

But the bundling has raised concerns among education leaders and some legislators.

The Utah Education Association, Utah PTA, plus school boards, superintendents and principals groups held a press conference on the matter Monday. They urged legislators to put the money going to programs in the omnibus bill instead into the WPU to build a more stable foundation for schools amid economic uncertainty.

Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, D-Holladay, said several legislators were "unhappy to find out today we may have to vote on an omnibus bill ... for significant amounts of money, that were not prioritized or that did not pass through a committee," and that rolling them with other attractive programs twists arms for votes.

For example, HB200, which seeks $3.5 million to give software to families to prepare preschoolers for kindergarten, and HB278, which addresses charter school funding, both have failed in the House. SB35, which seeks $5 million for math and science teacher pay, failed in a House committee. Both, however, were funded by the Executive Appropriations Committee.

While not attached to the omnibus bill Monday evening, a deal for spending $25 million in one-time money — the equivalent of a one-time, 1 percent WPU boost — also is not without controversy.

The proposal brought to GOP House and Senate caucuses following talks with Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. would put the money into one-time bonuses — $5 million for signing bonuses for newly hired teachers and $19 million in performance pay bonuses. The money would go to the State Office of Education, which would dole the money to school districts submitting proposals on how they would pay teachers for performance.

That, along with the 2.5 percent WPU increase and a $1,700 teacher raise, would equal about a 6 percent WPU increase.

The governor had sought a 7 percent increase.

"The governor has been committed to teacher compensation and he has done a lot to ensure that teachers receive a substantial compensation package this year," said Lisa Roskelley, spokeswoman for Huntsman. "I think it's important to put it in perspective. Where last year, we had a surplus of $1.7 billion and there was a 7 percent WPU (increase), this year, we're minus $1 billion of that surplus ... and we're looking at a 6 percent equivalent compensation package."

Valentine said public schools are getting half of the new money this legislative session. "I would guess we have increased public education funding more than 50 percent than where it was this time last year," Valentine said.