Following the pandemic, K-12 education became a top-three concern in the Utah Priorities Project. At the time, concern was partially driven by the economic needs of working parents, health risks, and educational challenges. In the 2024 Project, K-12 education has dropped to seventh place. When considering the quality of Utah’s schools, 44% of voters agree that “public schools offer all kids access to an education that will allow them to succeed,” while 42% disagree. When asked about voters’ top K-12 issue, two items stood out. One-third of voters identified teacher pay as the big issue, while slightly more respondents identified “what students are taught in school.” Liberal voters tended to focus more on teacher pay while conservative voters were more likely to focus on class content. Remaining voters were generally equally divided between smaller class sizes, counselors and support services, or “other.” Another challenge faced by the K-12 school system is the changing demographics of the state.
