ST. GEORGE – In the Fourth Special Session of the Legislature held last week on June 20, the New School Year Supplemental Public Education Budget Adjustments bill passed* both the Senate and House, addressing a $25 mil. shortfall in the Office of Education, created by a technical error.
Craig Hammer, Executive Director of Secondary Schools in Washington County School District said that the Office of Education projects the number of new students it anticipates for the budget. Somewhere along the line an error was made and the personnel didn’t catch it.
“It wasn’t lost, nobody took it,” Hammer said, “it was just short of what the estimate should have been for new growth.”
The error had to be corrected before the beginning of the 2012-13 fiscal year to meet budget requirements.
The bill as passed appropriates funds “for distribution to state education agencies, school districts, and charter schools for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2012 and ending June 30, 2013. These appropriations are additions to amounts previously appropriated for fiscal year 2013.”
The funds appropriated are:
$1,900,000 from the General Fund;
$23,430,600 from the Education Fund; and
$120,000 from Interest and Dividends Account.
The legislation was sent to the Governor on June 21 for signature.
* S.B. 4003 passed the Senate with 26 yeas, 1 nay and 2 abstentions. From Southern Utah, Sens. Anderson, Urquhart and Hinkins all voted yea.
The bill passed the House with 65 yeas, 0 nays and 10 not voting. From Southern Utah, Reps. Watkins, Last, Vickers, Snow and Ipson all voted yea.
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Copyright 2012 St. George News.