Utah education leaders are preparing for the worst when it comes to budget cuts.
State Superintendent Patti Harrington said Thursday her office is eliminating a tuition reimbursement program for employees, will offer early retirement incentives for staff and might have to lose 15 to 45 people depending on how much lawmakers cut. State Board of Education members on Thursday also approved guidelines for school districts to follow, possibly this year and in the future, when it comes to making major unexpected cuts.
Lawmakers voted during a special session in the fall to hold education harmless for this fiscal year. But in the face of widening budgetary gaps, legislative leaders have urged a 7 1/2 percent cut to education by June 30. The education appropriations subcommittee will meet Monday to begin discussing strategies.
Rep. Merlynn Newbold, R-South Jordan, who co-chairs that committee, said it is unlikely lawmakers will continue to spare education this fiscal year.
“It just becomes increasingly difficult without annihilating every other department in the state,” Newbold said.
But the committee’s other co-chair, Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, said cuts to education in general likely still won’t be as deep as to other programs. However, the State Office of Education will likely endure the same depth of cuts as other agencies, he said.
Greg Haws, a State Board of Education member, noted that cuts to education this fiscal year would be especially hard on schools because the fiscal year is already nearly half over.