Senate committee unanimously endorses bill that caps Utah class sizes

Morgan's bill has a fiscal note of $12.6 million for the first year of implementation — enough money to provide a paraprofessional to all 500 kindergarten classrooms in the state. At full implementation, it would cost $22 million to hire paraprofessionals for classes in kindergarten through third grades.

Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, said he supports the bill and would like to see it integrated even if funding for it isn't available this year. 

"If we're not able to get this fiscal note funded, we ought to push the bill forward anyway and begin to impose a standard for these grades that you have identified," Stephenson said. He suggested that since districts already receive state dollars for class-size reduction, there ought to be a standard in place to ensure they actually do it. 

Davis County resident Ron Mortensen said there needs to be funding in place at the legislative level so taxes aren't raised at the district level to fund the statute.

"If you do this, make sure that there's funding and that you're not supporting an indirect tax increase," Mortensen said. 

The committee approved Morgan's bill unanimously. It will now head to the Senate floor before heading to the House.

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