Last Friday February 28, teachers from around the Salt Lake valley and education board members flooded State Street as they marched to the capitol. Salt Lake Schools District closed schools early so that a large amount of their teachers could attend. The teachers marched and demanded a higher funding for education. Utah is the only state with the lowest provided funding for education in public/private schools. Utah spends the least on students and teachers are outraged. These teachers however were marching for students, not necessarily higher pay.

Utah teachers know their students  are struggling with depression and many commit suicide. Making teachers feel disheartened knowing the school doesn’t have appropriate funding for more staff or counselors to aid students struggling with mental health. Utah’s economy has been booming with decrease in unemployment and industries are thriving. Yet our states educational system has yet to be upgraded, many teachers stated that their classroom history books have been used for over thirty years.

Many of our teachers here at Hunter High School supported the walk out.

Utah legislators claim that this year the state will be increasing funding for education. Though the Utah house speaker Brad Wilson stated he disapproved of the teacher walk out. Wilson also claimed that no educators have reached out to him to increase funding, only that isn’t the case or true at all.

Students and teachers now can only wait and hope that funding will increase for Utah’s education.