SALT LAKE CITY — Nonprofit United Way presented its 2020 policy agenda Tuesday and highlighted several bills centered around early childhood education.
Following the nonprofit’s presentation, Utah legislative leadership participated in a panel discussion in which the lawmakers discussed an array of topics including the bills United Way spoke in favor of.
Rebecca Chavez-Houck, United Way of Salt Lake public policy committee co-chairwoman, said the nonprofit is championing legislation aimed at improving early childhood education because starting early has better long-term outcomes for children. It’s also, she said, cost-effective and backed by research showing that “high-quality preschool drives kindergarten readiness and provides a foundation for literacy and numeracy.”
This impact is particularly influential for low-income children and can play a key role in reducing the disparity gap.
During the 2019 legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill that aligned preschool programs across the state and strengthened existing programs. The program was appropriated an additional $6 million, but there was still not enough money to meet the state’s needs, Chavez-Houck said. As a result, program leaders were forced to close classrooms and the number of children benefited was reduced.
She cited the Granite School District as an example in which leaders were unable to provide around 200 scholarships and 2 1/2 classrooms closed.
To address this need, United Way supports an ongoing $3 million appropriation to be put toward funding high-quality preschools, Chavez-Houck said.
Acknowledging that preschool is not an option for all Utah families, United Way is also backing HB99 — legislation aimed at increasing optional extended kindergarten opportunities to children who need the extra time.
“Currently around 40% of children are showing up to school without the foundation they need to be successful. But what we do know is that when challenged in kindergarten, it only takes 15 to 30 extra minutes over a short amount of time to help that child,” Chavez-Houck said. “But by third grade, it takes 90 minutes to three hours a day to close that gap.”
HB99 would expand the state’s optional extended kindergarten program and help at-risk children in particular navigate this disadvantage, she said.
While factors like family and neighborhood characteristics contribute to a student’s academic performance, none play more of a role than teachers, Chavez-Houck said. Yet, according to her, Utah is not adequately investing in strategies that adequately support “teachers in learning and employing best teaching practices or in creating systems that support quality instruction and student outcomes.”
In response, Chavez-Houck also announced United Way’s support of HB114, legislation supporting teachers and students falling between preschool and third grade.
Following the presentation, Utah lawmakers, including majority and minority leaders from both the House and Senate, weighed in on topics expected to be especially relevant during the upcoming 2020 legislative session.
Deseret News politics reporter Lisa Riley Roche moderated the discussion and oversaw discussions on homelessness, affordable housing and education. However, much of the discussion was centered around the Utah Legislature’s sweeping tax reform efforts and how they could impact other services like education.
The tax reform package would raise sale taxes on food, gas and some other services while reducing the state income tax rate. The package has the support of Gov. Gary Herbert and according to supporters, 85% of Utah residents will see a tax break through the legislation in addition to one-time rebates that would be received by some low- and moderate-income residents.
The package, passed by the Legislature in early December, has sparked backlash among Utahns including an effort to put the proposal into citizens’ hands by turning the decision over to the November ballot.
House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, said the state will be unable to invest in programs other than fundamental things that take sales tax if the referendum succeeds. He explained that in about two years the state won’t have enough sales tax to invest in additional programs such as air quality, transportation, natural resources and children’s health care.
“I think lost in this narrative has been we have this structural problem, we’ve got a fiscal cliff in about two years that anything that requires a city sales tax for, we fix that problem. We’re not gonna go over that cliff,” Wilson said. “If the referendum succeeds, we are going to be in trouble.”
Senate Minority Leader Karen Mayne, D-West Valley City, said she understands the need for structural change but pointed out that she has concerns about what could happen to education and transportation funds without safeguards in place. She clarified that she isn’t against the reform, but she believes education and transportation should be protected.
“Psychologically, philosophically, we don’t like tax on food as Democrats. It’s just not the thing we are comfortable with,” Mayne said, pointing out that conversations surrounding removing the sales tax on essential food items may change if the referendum succeeds. “I think after today the conversation might be different. I think when we go into session wherever it goes, we will need legislation to add on, take off — it depends. You’ll see those kinds of things.”
When pressed on what would happen if the referendum is added to the ballot, Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, said lawmakers consulted with organizations like United Way to see if the package is a good moral policy. Adams said they asked the organizations how they could implement tax reform in a thoughtful way without harming vulnerable populations. Taking their guidance into account, lawmakers opted to include a food tax credit under the policy.
About putting the referendum on the ballot, Adams said pushing the decision to November would contradict the implementation dates already outlined in the tax reform policy in which the tax would go into effect.
“If you put it on the ballot it just functionally won’t work, so when somebody says, ‘Lets put it on the ballot,’ that’s probably not an option for us. We’ve probably got to fix it this session,” Adams said.