Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, Lt. Gov. Greg Bell and Education Deputy Christine Kearl met with the UEA Board at the UEA office June 16. The Governor spent two hours sharing his positions and answering questions from the Board.“My number one priority as Governor is economic development,” said Gov. Herbert, calling it the engine that drives state revenue. He noted the “significant link” between economic development and his number two priority, education. “Sustained economic development requires a robust education system,” he said.
The conversation covered a variety of topics including:
Taxes and education funding: “Education funding increased by $900 million over the Huntsman-Herbert years,” said the Governor. He added that Utah is in a “unique” position with only 21.2 percent of the state held privately, limiting the amount of land available to generate tax revenue.
Vouchers: While he was a vocal supporter of vouchers, Gov. Herbert recognized that there were flaws in the law ultimately passed by the Utah legislature. “(Vouchers) should have been means tested and there should have been income limits,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned, the (voucher) issue is dead for at least the next decade.”
State school board elections: When asked, Gov. Herbert called the current system for electing state school board members “screwy.” He has asked staff to look at how other states seat their school boards.
“We should (meet) more often,” said Gov. Herbert. “I’m sure we will find that we have much more in common than we have differences. We have the same goals and aspirations for students.”
“It was an honor to have the Governor in the UEA Building and to have open, honest and frank discussions with the UEA Board,” said UEA President Kim Campbell.
The meeting was historic in that it may be the first time a sitting governor has attended a meeting of the UEA Board.
