Estimated reading time: 2-3 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Education Association Board of Directors voted unanimously Thursday to oppose a future ballot measure that would amend the Utah Constitution to limit education funding.
SJR10, sponsored by Sen. Dan McKay (R-Riverton), would also divert state income tax funds currently earmarked for education, children, and the disabled for “other state needs,” according to the text of the amendment. The aim is to open it to provide funding.
“The UEA Board of Directors believes the proposed amendments run counter to our values and challenge what we stand for,” Utah Education Association President Renee Pinckney wrote in a letter to association members. I mentioned it in. “We know that public schools are the place to spend your childhood. No matter their race, background, where they come from, or where they live, all children feel welcome, safe, and well-resourced. We believe that students have the right to learn in public classrooms that are enriched with a strong sense of belonging where their curiosity and creativity come alive.”
Pinckney told KSL News Radio that the board has been discussing the proposed amendment for more than a year, particularly the language used in the proposed amendment. He said the board was hopeful that changes would be made during the legislative session, but the group was very concerned because nothing had changed.
Pinckney said “the needs of other states” could be “siphoning” funding from public education.
“Basically the door is open and constitutional obligations will no longer be enforceable,” he told KSL News Radio.
The measure is expected to appear on voters' ballots this November.
The letter also criticized Congress' funding for HB215, often referred to as the “school choice” bill. The bill, passed in the 2023 legislative session, provides her $8,000 scholarship to eligible families for private schools and other private education options.
The Utah Education Association Board of Directors voted unanimously to oppose the proposed Utah Constitution Amendment (commonly known as SJR 10). pic.twitter.com/LvSIT5bGuK
— Utah Education Association (@myuea) March 14, 2024
“Imagine what this funding could do to meet the ever-growing needs of public school students and educators,” Pinckney said in the letter.
HB215 also gave licensed educators a $6,000 raise, but a commonly heard criticism of the bill centered on the fact that it tied teacher raises to the private school voucher law.
A year earlier, in the 2022 legislative session, lawmakers passed SB211, which changed the name of the Utah Education Fund to the Income Tax Fund.
“Utah still does not have a fully funded public education system,” Pinckney said in the letter. “UEA has kept the promise of public education for more than 150 years, and we still do not want to compromise our values.” I have no intention of doing so.”
Pinckney said the board is considering whether to launch a campaign against the proposed amendments, but is currently reaching out to all board members.