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Show SCHOOL EXPENDITURES INCREASE FOUR TIMES IN PAST DECADE Total public school expenditures expendi-tures rose from $26.9 million in 1S47-4R to more than $108.2 million in 1960-61. This was pointed out in an analysis of rchool costs just prepared by Utah Foundation, the private governmental research organization. organ-ization. " Approximately S50.7 million of the $31.3 million increase during (he thirteen-year period per-iod resulted from increased spending for current operations. Other costs which rose during the period are capital outlay -$25. 1 million increase, interest costs on school indebtedness -up 1.7 million, school lunch program - $3.8 million rise, and ether school expenses - up $0.1 million. Acco'; tc the Foundation analysis, enrollment increases, and the decreased, purchasing power of the dollar were responsible re-sponsible for less than half of the rise in school operating costs since 1947-48. Other factors fac-tors such as reductions in class size, and increases in teacher salaries and other costs beyond that caused by enrollment increases in-creases and the rise in the cost of living accounted for more than 52 of the school expenditure rise between the 1947-48 and the 1960-61 school years. In an overall evaluation of the educational problem in Utah, the Foundation concludes conclu-des that Utah is characterized by an extremely high educa tional load, a low financial ability, and a superior effort made by the citizenry to support sup-port education. Last year school revenue derived from state and local sources was equal to 5.45 of Utah's personal per-sonal income. ' By comparison, he U. S. average was 3.68 and the Mountain States average aver-age was 4.46. The report points out that despite the great financial effort ef-fort made to support public education in Utah, the amount am-ount of money available per student is somewhat below national na-tional and regional averages. This is due to the extremely 'aige nu:nb?r of children to be educated in Utah. Foundation analysts observe, however, that because of differences dif-ferences in organizational efficiency, ef-ficiency, population concentration, concentra-tion, geographic characteristics, as well as other factors, per pupil costs are not a reliable index of the quality of education edu-cation in the respective states and districts. Utah, for example generally has been able to spend the available funds more effectively than most other states because of its more efficient ef-ficient school organization setup. set-up. Although there has been a decided trend across the nation to improve the efficiency of local school organizations during dur-ing recent years, the report notes that most states still do not approach Utah in efficiency of organization. Only four states, for example, have fewer few-er school districts than Utah. The average number of pupils per school district in Utah is more than six times as great as the average for the nation. Moreover, the percentage of inefficient, in-efficient, high-cost, one-teacher schools in Utah is less than one-fifth the national average. The report states that despite de-spite some shortcomings in specific spe-cific programs, the overall performance per-formance of Utah education has been rated excellent, and the state has acquired a national na-tional reputation for academic achievement. The Foundation attributes this high naional rating rat-ing largely to the traditional zeal of the citizenry for edu-caion edu-caion and the efficiency of the school organization. |