Granite superintendent warns legislative changes, vouchers and mandate shifts will squeeze district budget

Superintendent Ben Morrisley told residents that recent state legislation and program changes are creating a net budgetary strain on Granite School District despite a 4% statewide increase to the weighted pupil unit (WPU).

Morrisley said the 4% WPU increase translates to roughly $13.5 million for the district on an $850 million budget but cautioned that several legislative actions reduce or reallocate other funding streams and create new unfunded requirements. He singled out a cut of about $2.5 million that removed “pro staff” money used to pay experienced or highly credentialed teachers and redirected those dollars into a flexible allocation available to charter schools and other programs. He also said vouchers (HB 215, enacted in 2023) now total about $100 million statewide and “have 0 accountability,” in his words.

The superintendent listed additional impacts: the state eliminated some previously matched funding for libraries and nurses; lawmakers required the district to eliminate school fees but supplied only one-time money to do so; and other statutory changes affecting the local levy were estimated by the district to reduce revenue further (Morrisley cited a district estimate that a portion of recent law could cost the district roughly $15 million over three years). He told the meeting that when aggregated these shifts leave the district at a net negative several percentage points despite the nominal WPU increase.

Collective bargaining and pending referendum: Morrisley also addressed HB 267, a bill he described as banning collective bargaining by government entities. He said union and allied groups gathered more than 300,000 signatures toward a referendum that could pause implementation until a public vote in 2026 if verified. He described ongoing bargaining this year “as if the law was still in place” and said the district chose to continue negotiating with the association in good faith while the signature challenge proceeds.

Budget process and next steps: The superintendent said the district is finalizing budget numbers and will hold a budget luncheon with legislators and elected officials. Morrisley encouraged constituents to contact legislators about how earmarked funds and one-time grants differ from ongoing WPU revenue.

Ending: Morrisley urged families and taxpayers to follow posted budget materials and to raise concerns with legislators; he said the district will seek to protect classroom spending as it balances new mandates and revenue changes.