State School Board preparing for tough cuts, if necessary

SALT LAKE CITY — The State Board of Education pondered a worst-case budget scenario Friday and prioritized accordingly. On the speculative chopping block were adult education programs and the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind.

Tasked by the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget, the board looked at programs it would hypothetically cut should education funding be slashed by tens of millions of dollars.

The board brainstormed cuts in $20 million increments. Eliminating adult eduction, school nurse funding, the Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative and a few other line items would take care of the first tier, according to the board.

The next $20 million block could be accounted for by having children with sensory disabilities served through "other venues" than the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind, and the third $20 million cut could come from revenues from the State Trust Lands.

The board cautioned it was only brainstorming in response to a request from the governor's office, and had no intention of making those changes.

The Legislature approved 7 percent cuts to all departments, including public education, last week, and plans to allocate more money as updated revenue projections come in.

e-mail: mfarmer@desnews.com