Show School Schod I In New Finance Plan P i South Sanpete School District District District Dis Dis- will be able to increase its school operating program by approximately per distribution distribution dis dis- classroom unit next year plus an additional the following year as a ref result re re- f suit sult of the new school finance program adopted by the 1965 Utah Legislature These facts were brought out in a detailed analysis of the 1965 school finance legislation legisla t I tion don prepared by the Utah Foundation the private governmental gov research tion Foundation analysts explain explain ex ex- plain that a distribution unit is allowed for each classroom unit of 27 pupils Additional distribution units are allowed for supervisory personnel small schools special classes for handicapped children vocational vocational vocational vo vo- vo- vo education and other purposes If South Sanpete School District utilizes all of the finance fin finance fi fi- n nance nance nce authority granted under the new law the school program program pro pro- gram would be raised by per cent in ln the first year and per cent in the second year over present 65 1964 lev lev- els Still further increases could be obtained if they were approved by the voters in a special school finance election In order to finance this Increased increased in In- creased program the Foundation Foundation Foundation tion report points out that the South Sanpete School District would have to raise its local school levy by mills during during during dur dur- ing the following year Partially Partially Par Par- offsetting setting these local tax increases in a probable slight reduction in the state property tax levy for schools Current estimates place the state levy for schools at 8 mills for each of the next two years This compares with 97 m nulls mills in in n 1964 1964 76 mills in 1963 In addition to these changes in property tax rates Foundation Foundation tion analysts note that residents residents residents resi resi- dents of South Sanpete District District Dis Dis- will pay higher individual income inome taxes and businesses will pay higher corporate taxes taxes taxes tax tax- es in order to meet the increased increased in in- creased state costs under the new program According to Foundation calculations calculation the individual income income in in- come orne tax rates changes up from 5 1 per cent to 6 2 per percent percent percent cent will raise the tax in the average case by 41 per cent with individual increases ranging ranging ranging rang rang- ing from 30 per cent to per cent Corporate tax rates were also boosted by 50 per percent percent percent cent from 4 to 6 per cent to help pay for the enlarged program and balance the state budget Altogether the new school program is expected to cost costan costan costan an additional million per biennium of which million million mil mil- lion will come from added state funds and 52 million from increased local taxes The Foundation report notes that these estimates of increased increased in in- creased cost do not include the growth factor which has added 8 10 10 million a biennium to school costs during recent Th The Foundation report observes observes ob ob- serves that a question still to tobe tobe tobe be resolved by school boards is what proportion of the increased increased in in- creased funds should be allocated allocated al al- al located for teacher salaries and what proportion other things Two years ago a proposed program which was widely publicized by CAPS representing representing representing organized school groups would have allocated 42 per cent of the added funds sought for teachers teacher's salaries 28 per cent for expanded staff and 30 per cent for supplies and equipment Originally ally the 1965 school legislation contained a provision provision provi provi- sion slon which would limit the proportion going for increased teachers salaries to 57 per percent percent percent cent of the increased funds for the operating pr program gram not including special funds provided provided provided pro pro- vided for libraries extended school year etc This limitation limitation limita limita- tion however was removed from the bill before final pas pas- sage State funds for school buildings buildings build build- ings were cut slightly by the 1965 Utah Legislature Foundation Foundation Foun Foun- dation figures show that approximately approximately approximately ap ap- ap- ap proximately 93 million instate in instate instate state aid for local school construction construction con con- will be available during during dur duro ing the next biennium This compares with 99 million instate in instate instate state school building aid available available available avail avail- able during the present 1963 65 biennium t |