* MEDIA RELEASE *
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 20, 2018
CONTACT: Amy Choate-Nielsen
Utah PTA Director of Communications
amyn@utahpta.org
Utah PTA supports gas tax increase to fund public education
Board of Directors encourages PTA members to vote for Nonbinding Opinion Question #1
As the largest parent advocacy organization in the state, the Utah PTA is dedicated to supporting families and students to be successful. We believe education is key to that success. To that end, the Utah PTA Board of Directors has voted to support Question #1, which proposes increasing the gas tax by 10 cents for the purpose of supporting public education. The Utah PTA Board of Directors is encouraging its members to vote FOR Question #1 on the November ballot. We believe this will send a message to our legislators that Utah education needs to be fully funded.
The Utah PTA has stated its position on public education through a resolution adopted by the organization in 2010. The resolution states: Whereas, public education is a high priority with the citizens of Utah and Utah is facing a funding crisis in public education, Utah ranks 51st in expenditures per student, the education funding effort has continued to decline for over a decade, and student enrollment is significantly increasing, Utah PTA has resolved to continue to urge the legislature to make public education revenue allocations and funding efforts a high priority, encourage the legislature to adequately fund critical educational needs, including but not limited to, class size reduction, teacher salaries, technology, textbooks and supplies.--Utah PTA Resolution on Education Funding, EDU 2010-2
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About Utah PTA: Utah PTA is a non-profit grassroots child advocacy association made up of parents, teachers, and students with a membership of 90,000 people throughout Utah. Utah PTA is an affiliate of National PTA and is organized in Utah at local, council, and state levels.