Offering full-day kindergarten programs for needy students, math and science help, and money for teachers who help close achievement gaps also are likely to be in the mix, sources say.

"I think it's a marvelous starting point," said Chad Harris, associate executive director of the Utah School Boards Association.

"I would hope that in the plans that will be laid out by the governor, he will take into consideration critical funding we desperately need in schools," including rising costs of busing for kids so the WPU increase isn't gobbled up by fuel costs, Harris said. "We have districts having to cut programs so they can fund transportation."

Legislative leaders were still withholding judgment on Huntsman's budget until after the document is made public. However, they expressed conceptual support for the transportation and education increases.

At the same time, House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, wondered if everything could be funded at the levels House Republicans — who will meet as a caucus Tuesday — would support, especially the tax cuts.

He has previously indicated that he wanted closer to $100 million for tax cuts, so that the sales tax on food could be reduced over two years and some business tax relief could be given.

Still, the House speaker was supportive of increasing the weighted pupil unit, as well as funding targeted programs such as all-day kindergarten and the math and science initiative aimed at the lower grades.

"We'll clearly be supporting an increase in the WPU," he said. "The first responsibility will be to cover enrollment growth . . . and then seriously look at the per pupil spending."

Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, said the budget surplus should be even bigger than last year, although he declined to be more specific. Then, the state took in $400 million more in revenue than had been budgeted. Much of that money was spent in the 2005 session.

"I am convinced that the numbers we will see will show us we can top last year's one-time expenditures by a significant amount," he said. "We're going to be able to do significant things for education, transportation, public employees — and a tax cut."

Valentine said he hopes to come up with more than $120 million for transportation projects next session. Does he expect the governor will include that much money in his spending plan? "I see part of it in the governor's budget," Valentine said.

As for schools, he said that he expects "to see a high priority for education and significant increases" in Huntsman's budget.

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Contributing: Nicole Warburton, Jennifer Toomer-Cook