A bill that carries business executives' recommendations to improve public schools does not include two of their biggest ideas: $90 million in new money and tuition tax credits.
But that could change.
The bill, filed as protected and not open for public review, could pick up those elements if it passes the Senate.
Sponsoring Sen. Tom Hatch, R-Panguitch, supports joining his measure with a tuition tax credits bill carried by Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, who also supports a potential merge.
Addressing the new money would come in later in the session, when legislative leaders receive new projections and determine what other sources they might tap, Hatch said. One possibility is to increase the cap on property tax revenues, when property values rise.
Merging the two bills could foster a compromise among lawmakers on the controversial tuition tax credits and spending more money on education, some legislators say.
Basically, Democrats and some moderates oppose tuition tax credits but like the idea of giving schools more money, House Majority Leader Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, said. On the other hand, many Republicans support tuition tax credits, but "are not thrilled" about giving schools $90 million, especially in this lean year.
Merging the concepts also "makes (the bill) harder for the governor to veto," Hatch said.
But Utah Education Association President Pat Rusk doesn't like that strategy.
"If the things in that bill are worth having, those ideas ought to stand on their own merit, and we shouldn't hold education funding hostage with tuition tax credits," Rusk said. "Who does that benefit? It's more about what you want and what I want, and it should be about kids."
The sticking point is tuition tax credits.
SB34 would give a tax credit of up to $2,132 — the value of the state's per-student funding formula — to parents paying private school tuition.
Public school kids wanting to switch to private schools and low-income private school students would be eligible to use the money under SB34.
Any person or business also could receive credits, up to the value of what they owe in income taxes, for donating to a private school scholarship organization — so long as the organization can spend it all in one year, providing no more than a $2,132 scholarship per child.
Supporters say the bill would empower all parents to choose the education that's best for their child and engender competition to notch-up school quality. They also say schools spend more than twice as much as the weighted pupil unit, thus leaving more money in the system to spread around.
Opponents say it won't work that way. They say they'll lose other money connected to the weighted pupil unit and still have the same overhead costs with less money to pay for it. They say private schools also don't provide transportation for the poor or programs for special needs children.
Tuition tax credits were part of a package recommended by the Employers Education Coalition, a group of business leaders set up by Gov. Mike Leavitt to find ways to improve education.
That package also included giving another $90 million to public education.
Hatch's bill incorporates much of the other elements of the coalition's package, including:
Adding depth and complexity in English, math and science lessons;
Notching up graduation requirements in English, math and science;
Focusing on competency-based education, or what students know rather than seat-time;
Adding two school board members to larger school districts;
Hiring teachers based on expertise and stop making them go back to college for a teaching certificate, and let them negotiate their own contracts;
Having the governor instead of voters appoint the State Board of Education.
Sen. Mike Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, said Senate leadership had not seen Hatch's proposal, but support the concept and the coalition that recommended it.
"This was an unbiased party that took its charge very seriously and came up with suggestions to improve the public school system," he said. "We should give them our support."
Contributing: Amy Joi Bryson
E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com