FY 2016 Appropriation

The Professional Staff Program provides funding to Local Education Agencies to support "recruiting and retaining highly educated and experienced educators for instructional, administrative and other types of professional employment in public schools" (USOE Finance & Statistics, MSP Descriptions, November 2006). The program provides extra weighted pupil units for professional staff experience and training to offset the higher cost associated with these educators. School districts and charter schools may use program funding in a variety of ways, which may include signing and retention bonuses.

Formula -- By providing additional revenue for staff training and experience, the state recognizes the cost differential associated with more experienced educators. The program formula distributes revenue on a WPU basis to qualifying school districts and charter schools. Program WPUs are calculated as follows "(1) multiply the number of FTE licensed staff in each applicable experience category by the applicable weight, which is given in statute. (2) Divide the product from #1 by the number of licensed staff included in #1 and reduce the quotient by 1.00. (3) Multiply the result from #2 by one-fourth of the total WPUs generated by Kindergarten, Grades 1-12, and Necessarily Existent Small Schools programs" (USOE Finance & Statistics, MSP Descriptions, November 2006). Statutory weightings may be found in UCA 53A-17a-107 and range from 1 WPU for a teacher with a bachelor's degree and one-year of service to 1.7 WPUs for a teacher with a doctorate degree and eleven-years of service.

Funding History

Funding Issues

Enrollment Growth

Total enrollment in the public education system is projected to increase by 7,951 students in FY 2016, with a total enrollment of 630,104. Additional students in the system increases the cost to certain programs as designated by statute or legislative precedent. Adjustments are made in the following programs based on consensus enrollment and WPU estimates: Basic School Program: $24,284,600 Funds an additional 8,380 WPUs in FY 2016. Related to Basic School Program: $10,698,800 Provides a 1.3% increase to the following programs: Pupil Transportation, Enhancement for At-Risk Students, Youth-in-Custody, Adult Education, Enhancement for Accelerated Students, and Concurrent Enrollment. Provides an increase of $4,459,600 to the Local Replacement and $83,200 to the Administrative Cost programs for charter schools. Finally, increases th eamount for the Educator Salary Adjustment by $3,429,500 to account for additional teachers hired by LEAs in fall 2014. Voted & Board Local Levy: $23,023,600 Adjusts funding levels to provide the state guarante rate for all qualifying WPUs. Increases the state guarantee rate as provided in statute from $27.92 per WPU to $30.11 per WPU. The total local property tax revenue contribution to the cost of the Basic School Program is expected to increase by $8,462,600 in FY 2016. This amount works as an off-set to the total increased cost of the Basic School Program above.

Enrollment Growth - Charter School Pupil Accounting Extension

The Governor recommends continuing to determine charter school WPUs by using the higher of Prior-Year Plus Growth or Fall Enrollment methodology for one year. The statute that allows the "higher of" option expires at the end of FY 2015. This will increase the number of WPUs in the Basic School Program by 1,942.
Appropriation Overview

During the 2015 General Session, the Legislature appropriated for Fiscal Year 2016, $166,198,100 from all sources for Professional Staff. This is a 5.4 percent increase from Fiscal Year 2015 revised estimated amounts from all sources. The total includes $166,198,100 from the General/Education Funds, an increase of 5.4 percent from revised Fiscal Year 2015 estimates.

Appropriation Adjustments

In addition to statewide compensation and internal service fund cost increases, the following appropriation adjustments were made during the 2015 General Session:

DescriptionOngoingOne-Time Enrollment Growth$1,801,100$0
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$1,801,100$0Education Fund
Total enrollment in the public education system is projected to increase by 7,951 students in FY 2016, with a total enrollment of 630,104. Additional students in the system increases the cost to certain programs as designated by statute or legislative precedent. Adjustments are made in the following programs based on consensus enrollment and WPU estimates: Basic School Program: $24,284,600 Funds an additional 8,380 WPUs in FY 2016. Related to Basic School Program: $10,698,800 Provides a 1.3% increase to the following programs: Pupil Transportation, Enhancement for At-Risk Students, Youth-in-Custody, Adult Education, Enhancement for Accelerated Students, and Concurrent Enrollment. Provides an increase of $4,459,600 to the Local Replacement and $83,200 to the Administrative Cost programs for charter schools. Finally, increases th eamount for the Educator Salary Adjustment by $3,429,500 to account for additional teachers hired by LEAs in fall 2014. Voted & Board Local Levy: $23,023,600 Adjusts funding levels to provide the state guarante rate for all qualifying WPUs. Increases the state guarantee rate as provided in statute from $27.92 per WPU to $30.11 per WPU. The total local property tax revenue contribution to the cost of the Basic School Program is expected to increase by $8,462,600 in FY 2016. This amount works as an off-set to the total increased cost of the Basic School Program above.
Enrollment Growth - Charter School Pupil Accounting Extension$309,100$0
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$309,100$0Education Fund
The Governor recommends continuing to determine charter school WPUs by using the higher of Prior-Year Plus Growth or Fall Enrollment methodology for one year. The statute that allows the "higher of" option expires at the end of FY 2015. This will increase the number of WPUs in the Basic School Program by 1,942.
WPU Value Increase (4%)$6,450,100$0
OngoingOne-TimeFinancing Source
$6,450,100$0Education Fund
It costs approximately $26 million for each 1 percent increase or decrease in the WPU Value. Programs impacted include: The Basic School Program (all WPUs), Pupil Transportation, Concurrent Enrollment, Enhancement for At-Risk Students, Youth-in-Custody, Enhancement for Accelerated Students in the Related to Basic School Program.
Statute

The Professional Staff Program is governed by one statute within the Utah Code.

  • UCA 53A-17a-107 -- details how program WPUs are computed and distributed. This statute also provides the weighting schedule mentioned above and other regulations governing the program.

Administrative Rule R277-486 was passed by the State Board of Education. The rule provides administrative procedures associated with the governance of the Professional Staff Program.

Intent Language

HB0002: Item 1

The Legislature intends that the State Board of Education develop minimum program standards, including maximum class size limits in grades K-3, that local education agencies must meet in order to continue to receive Class Size Reduction funding. Including an estimate of the cost necessary to limit class sizes in grades K-3, without impacting class sizes in grades 4-12. The Legislature also intends that the State Board of Education report these standards and estimated costs to the Education Interim Committee and the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee by October 31, 2015.

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COBI contains unaudited data as presented to the Legislature by state agencies at the time of publication. For audited financial data see the State of Utah's Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports.