'So important': Gov. Cox signs bill to send more funding to rural schools

MANTI — Manti Elementary School was "buzzing" Monday after Principal David Ipson announced that Utah's governor would visit the school to sign a bill.

A handful of students quickly lined the building entrance with welcome signs, eagerly talking to Gov. Spencer Cox as he arrived.

One of the children asked Cox his favorite subject in school, and he answered that he still loves to read, encouraging the children to read. He said he has been reading a lot about the signing of the Declaration of Independence in anticipation of celebrating its 250-year anniversary next year, pointing to the document on their wall.

Ipson has never had a governor come visit the school during his time in education, saying the kids will remember the experience for the rest of their lives.

"I would have loved to have that as a kid," he said.

Only a few children, members of the student leadership team, were able to attend the event at the entry to the school and be in the photos — but Ipson said the rest of the students in the school were watching the bill signing live on Zoom from their classrooms.

Cox encouraged the children to listen to their teachers and parents and be nice to one another. "I'm really proud of you, good work," he said.

The governor explained that he only has 20 days to review bills passed by the Legislature in its annual general session, so actual bill signings don't often get to happen with celebrations; instead, he often does ceremonial bill signings afterward. For HB396, however, he decided to take the time for a celebration while signing the actual bill so that the children at Manti Elementary could participate in the legislative process.

"This one was so important to me and so important to our state," Cox said. He told the students the elementary school he attended in Fairview, Sanpete County, was a little smaller than the one in Manti.

"I just believe in our rural schools so much — and making sure that we're getting enough funding there has always been a challenge," Cox said, adding that the smaller tax base in rural Utah leads to more funding needs in schools.

Cox said the new law will send additional funding to Utah's rural schools. He said while the funds do not need to be used to pay teachers, most of the cost for running the schools is the teachers.

"What we're doing is empowering people at the local level who can make those decisions, helping to provide the funding that they need to protect these schools," the governor said.

Rep. Karen Peterson, R-Clinton, who sponsored the bill, said she talked to her dad about his experience at Manti Elementary before coming to the school. She said he remembered good cookies, not enjoying square dancing, and three teachers who made a difference in his life.

Peterson said she wants all of the students in the state, at every school, to get a teacher like her dad did — someone who understands them. To do that requires proper funding.

"The reason I ran this bill is to hire good teachers, to hire principals, to hire school counselors, to hire all of those kinds of people. Our schools have to have the money ongoing," she said.

The bill gives $16 million in additional money for rural students, and Peterson said the funds will continue allowing schools to hire for ongoing positions. She told reporters the Legislature knew the formula for funding rural schools wasn't working, but it took time to do the research needed to fix the formula in a way that would work long-term.

After the event, Cox said that each child, regardless of their zip code, should have a quality education and this funding will help provide that for Utah. He said some schools have six or seven languages to choose from, whereas his rural school had one option — Spanish, taught by the football coach.

Cox said Utah, as a whole, is in the top 10 states in the nation for education, but rural Utah is behind. He said he wants educators, parents and families to know that Utah's public education system is robust and is supported.

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