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Show Home of The Mormon Miracle The deadline forall ads and news for next weeks paper is one day from now, Friday, Dec. 27 at 5 p.m. Pageant I r "n r j1 MANTI, UTAH 84642, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1991 Happy Holidays! II r r h V.. .J t. As ... TTDMG i- in Li Li ' dUK District assessed valuation per student lowest in state Makes school construction Sanpete County may be at the top of the list in turkey and wool production but the South Sanpete School District is at the bottom of the list in its ability to finance school construction. The district has 6 of them-ea- ch containing 2 classrooms-i- n use this year. Another an is borrowing. The district has this year added $1,555,000 to its bonded indebtedness in order to assessed value of $54,883 per construct additions at two student-ran- ks relatively new schools Gunnison Valley High School-ni- ne more classrooms, and Ephraim Middle School-fo- ur more classrooms and a gym. The districts bonded indebtedness is now $2,825,000, with the final payment due in the year 2004. The two new wings in the secondary schools will be occupied in January and theyll ease the housingcrunch on that level. But what about the squeeze on the Ephraim, Gunnison Valley and Manti Elementary schools? If the student population to grow-a- nd continues indications are that it will-th- en well have to go to schools on the elementary level," said Paul Gottfredson, South South Sanpete--wit- h 40th, at the bottom, about half of the states average of$109,770per student. Its far below South Summits $818,684 per student, the highest in Utah, and nearly $20,000 below its neighboring North Sanpete School District For a rural school district. South Sanpete has, by contrast, a constant and relatively high rate of student increase-arou- nd five per cent, or 100 students per year. And those 100 additional students means that every year the district needs three more classrooms. The low ability to provide funds for the additional classrooms via the taxing route and the ongoing student increases keep South Sanpete in a constant financial bind. One expedient is more mobile classrooms units. low-co- st expedient year-roun- d Sanpete District business That even though 5 mobile classrooms will continue in use." administrator. Jan Christensen, who has a difficult ' general medical practice in the Gunnison Valley area. It isnt that were not trying," Gottfredson added. Our 1991 fiscal year tax rate for education was the third highest in the state and our average monthly teacher salary is 39th out of 40." Our ongoing financing dilemma is the consequence of our low tax base we dont have a Geneva Steel or Hercules to tax." In 1991 the basic levy for the operation and maintenance of the South Sanpete School District generated $674,702 out of a total budget of $6,137,777. the $5,463,075 difference came from the Uniform School Fund--- a fund whose purpose is to equalize opportunity throughout the states 40 school districts. South Sanpete School District officials and patrons believe that the viable answer to the building crunch that it and other poor" districts are continually feeling is that the state should now move on to capita outlay equalization just as it did years ago to operation and maintenance equalization. A prominent local spokesman for that cause is Dr. Outstanding local students receive Recognition Awards at Snow College Some local students were among a group of 53 recipients of the first ever Snow College Student Recognition Awards. Nancy Cox, Les Kraut, Paul Lambertson, and Barbara Lee of Manti, Rob Aycock and Jonathan Russell of Ephraim received the awards for Fall Quarter 1991 just before school let out for the holidays. The students were presented certificates during a special evening ceremony. Other winners include Maria Titze, Lynnell Fulkerson, Jeff Henderson of Gunnison; Troy Taylor, Centerfield; and Marie Puente, Mt. Pleasant We wanted to find a way to recognize the outstanding students who arent necessarily the star athlete or the 4.0 student," said Mat Barreiro, advisor for the student academic council. The winners of these awards were chosen by a very informed group... the faculty." Barreiro also noted, These awards were not based on grades but, obviously students with high grades were not excluded." The Student Academic Council invited all faculty to nominate one student for recognition, based on a variety of factors, including enthusiasm for learning, excellence on a particular project, dedication to their education, exemplary service to fellow students, or particular effort or diligence. Dr. Christensen argues that Local school district education facilities should not be dependent upon local property wealth per student. The wealth ofthe state as a whole should be the basis for financing and maintaining educational facilities." He further maintains that educational facilities should be somewhat comparable for each student regardless of the property wealth of the local school district." to Dr. According Christensen, recent court cases financial concerning equalization among school districts within the same state have identified equity in school facilities as an issue that must be resolved." The South Sanpete District is but one of several Utah districts that think a satisfactory resolution of that issue is urgent Retail sales up 6.7 in state but down 6.2 in Sanpete County Gross taxable retail sales the Central second the Region during of but 1991, Sanpete quarter County sales fell 6.2 percent, the State Tax Commission said this week. pipeline through the region. Sanpete Countys 6.2 percentdecline was precipitated by a 28.3 percent decrease in the Manufacturing" category, an 18 percent decline in Auto Utahs gross Services," and a 27.9 percent? grew 27 percent in By comparison, taxable retail sales grew 6.7 percent during the second quarter of 1991, boosted by utility sales due to a cold spring and major construction and business purchases. business Although investment grew almost 21 percent statewide, retail sales only inched up 1.8 percent, despite rising wages and warming consumer sentiment, according to a report, Second Quarter of 1991 Gross Taxable Retail Sales and Purchases in the State of Utah." The quarterly report, prepared the Tax by Commissions Economic & Statistical Unit, outlines results in three major economic sectors: Retail Trade," Business Equipment Investment: and Taxable Services." Results by County Taxable sales in the Central Region posted the highest regional increase, 27 percent, driven by very large increase (2,063 percent) in Millard Countys Electric and Gas Utility" category due to construction of a natural gas and Miscellaneous Repair drop in Amusement and Recreation Services." However, a major 87.9 percent gain was recorded in the Wholesale-Durabl- e Goods" category, as well as in several retail categories: Food Stores," Miscellaneous" and "Furniture," which were up 39.6, 17.1 and 10 percent, respectively. Retail Salea Taxable sales fell 8.1, 9.4 and 24.9 percent, respectively, in JUab, Wayne and Piute counties, and Millard and Sevier counties were up 111.5 and 1.9 percent Results by City Taxable direct sales in Richfield fell 11.6 percent in the second quarter. Taxable sales in Delta fell 33.4 percent and Nephifell 12.1 percent Figures are not available for Manti, Ephraim or Mt Pleasant Statewide Retail Trade Overall retail trade was dampened by declining sales at Utah food stores and car dealerships, which each fell about 4 percent. Double-dig- it sales growth at some of Utahs discount general merchandise stores, which also specialize in volume food sales, may account for some of the food store softness," the report said. An 11.5 percent drop in new-an- d used-ca- r sales at new-ca- r dealerships precipitated the fall in Motor Vehicle Dealer" sector sales. Business Investment Equipment This category increased almost 21 percent, paced by increased residential and commercial natural gas and electricity sales, which grew 20 and 27 percent, respectively, during the fairly cold spring of 1991. In addition, taxable purchases by a company laying a natural gas pipeline helped boost the electric and gas sector to an overall 75 percent growth rate in the second quarter. Taxable Services Taxable services rose 4.7 percent in the second quarter. Absent the 55 percent drop in the health sector, taxable services growth would have approached 10 percent Doubledigit growth rates were found in Hotel Services," (up 12.3 percent), Personal Services," (up 16.4 percent), Amusement and Recreation, (up 14.2 percent) and Education, Legal and Social Services," (up 16.5 percent). a. |