UEA Urges State Leaders to Use Federal Education Money ASAP

Funds will immediately help students and the economy

Jordan School District cut nearly 200 education support jobs, including many special education aides who serve students with special needs.

Canyons and Millard School Districts eliminated five days of student instruction from their school calendars.

Davis School District increased its class sizes, already among the nation's largest, by an average of one student per class.

These are just of few of the budget cuts local school boards could reverse with $101 million provided by the Education Jobs Fund of 2010 recently passed by Congress. But a letter sent to school districts from Utah legislative leaders suggests this federal funding should be delayed until the Utah State Legislature has a chance to deliberate.

"The children of a recession deserve the same educational opportunities as the children of prosperity," said UEA President Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh. "Each day we delay getting this money into our classrooms is a day lost in a child's education."

"The reality is we need this money now...for our students and for our economy. I am disappointed to hear some state leaders suggest we delay getting this money to the schools where it is so desperately needed. This funding will go to urban and rural school districts and help stimulate Utah's economy."

Of the $26 billion included in the Education Jobs Fund of 2010 passed by Congress, about $101 million will come to Utah. It has been estimated that 150,000 education jobs nationwide - more than 1,700 in Utah - can be saved as a result of this bill. Governors wishing to apply for the funds have a September 9, 2010 deadline, but the U.S. Department of Education is encouraging them to be prompt so monies can be used to get people back to work as soon as possible.

"We encourage the legislature to avoid micromanagement and allow local school boards to use the education jobs funds as Congress intended," said Gallagher-Fishbaugh. Under the provisions of the bill, funds can be used to recall teachers and other building-level employees, reinstate lost instructional days or other days lost to funding cuts, and to maintain step increases on employee salary schedules.