It will cost the state $100 million this coming year just to pay for the growth in the number of new students coming into public schools.
In fact, it has been two steps forward, one step back in public school funding for a number of years, a new Utah Foundation report on school funding shows.
The report shows that over the last 20 years, various tax changes/exemptions have actually DECREASED public school funding by 29 percent from where it would be today if the changes hadn’t been made.
If the changes hadn’t happened, Utah schools would have $1.2 billion more each year – even more than the $750 million the proposed tax hike would bring in.
Herbert et al. say such a tax increase today could well kill the golden economic goose that is driving Utah’s economy – one of the best performing among the 50 states.
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