SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — At least 1,000 teachers marched through downtown Salt Lake City to the state Capitol to demand lawmakers increase school funding.
The demonstration on Friday was led by a teachers union and was one of the largest ever by teachers in the state.
Many wore red T-shirts, carried handmade signs and chanted, “Our students deserve more” as they marched to the Capitol. Estimates of the crowd size varied between 1,000 and 2,000 demonstrators.
They teachers are calling for a 6% increase in how much the state spends per student. Utah is last in the nation in per-student spending.
State lawmakers are proposing a 4% increase, or about $136 million, with higher-than-expected state revenue projections.
Senate Majority Leader Evan Vickers says state lawmakers will fund public education “significantly” this year.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.