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Show THE SALT LAKE TIMES FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1973 Page Eight Basic Data Required to Define Need for Class Size Reduction Extent and urgency of the need for reducing class size in Utah public schools cannot accurately be determined from the data presently available, according to the Utah Foundation, the it purivate public service agency. No state wide compilation of individual class sizes and make up now exists, the Foundation notes in a research report released this week. At one time, efforts were made to assemble this information in' the state computer center, but they were were abandoned when it was found that reports from different school districts were often made on different bases and not comparable. The Legislature might direct the State School Office or the Legislative Council to make an accurate district by district or school by school or classroom by classroom count, and to projecl class sizes for years in the immediate future on the basis of known age groupings. Other pertinent factors, such as kinds of classes being considered in terms of subject matter and of pupil age, background and special abilities and availability of physical plant, might also be assembled. Such a record would appear to be essential to the kind of analysis required for evaluating the extent of the need to reduce class sizes. Discussions of class size usually involve the terms individual class size and pupil teacher ra tion, terms which have differraent meanings. Pupil-teachan is at tio average arrived by dividing the total number of classroom teachers in an educational unit (school, school district, state or nation). Individual class sizes may vary from this average, in either direction. Over the past three decades or ratio in more, the. pupil-teachUtah has been markedly reduced but in comparison with other states it remains one of the highest in the nation. The comparative picture may not be ac- non-prof- er . er More Information on Comet Kohoutek The Kohoutek comet was discovered by Czech astronomer Lubos Kohoutek at the Hamburg Observatory on March 7, 1973. It had never been seen before, and will not reutrn for millenia. During October, November, and December the comet was visible before dawn in the south east as a very faint object that looked like. a fuzzy star. It did not become bright enough to be conspicous without binoculars. the comet By had moved so close to the sun that it was lost in the glare and coudl not be seen, despite its increase in brightness. It will not be visible during the last two weeks of December. It passes closest to the sun on the 28th, coming within 13 million miles of the suns surface. The comet will be at it most mid-Decemb- er spectacular during the first three weeks of January, when it will shine in the evening sky after sunset. Early in January it will a few be in the of the to the planet right degrees Venus and Jupiter and may be as bright as Venus. Its tail will point away from the sun andde-is prdeicted to be from 15 to 30 grees long. On January 15 the comet will reach its closest point to earth west-southwe- st, 75 million miles distant. curate, however, as many states with low pupil teacher ratios have very large numbers of school districts and very low enrollment per district, making for abnormally low pupil-teachratios. Nebraska, for example, has more than 1200 school districts and an average enrollment per district of 266 pupils in pubic schools, indicating the existence of many small rural schools where teacher-pup- il ratios are small. inevitably Within Utah the spread between school districts in teacher-pup- il ratio is substantial, and the lowest ratios are in small rural districts Daggett, Piute, and also Garfield Rich, Tintic, lead list. the Wayne Few would argue that educational quality in these rural districts is higher than in the large districts along the Wasatch Front. It appears obvious that whatever advantages there ramay be to low pupil-teachafare factors there other tios, educational fecting quality that end to offset them. er er Moss Supports More Supervision of Ruins E. Moss Utah Senator Frank has promised Bureau of Land Management his support in efforts to get Congressional funding for increased protection of the Grand Gulch area of southeastern Utah. BLM officials told Moss in a briefing that they fear complete destruction of valuable archeological materials by visitors, jf Archeologists believe this fc a very significant site because it contains traces of a very lonj period of time during early mans existence, he said. He promised to assist the BLM in seeking the extra funds in next years budget for increased supervision of the area. The Senator said irreparable damage has already been done to some of the ruins and writings left by the Anasazi Tribe. They were residents of the area from about the time of. Christ until about 1275 AD. The most disturbing aspect of the destruction of this valuable archeological site is that damage is irreversible. It is possible to destroy every clue to this link with the past. Once disturbed, the clues are gone forever. More Than 12 Million Phone Calls Made on Christmas Day For Mountain Bell, Christmas ranks with Mothers Day as the busiest long distance calling day of the year, and with the fuel shortage creating travel problems for many people, it may be even busier than usual this year. So, dont wait until Dec. 25 to make your long distance holiday calls. You could get caught in the Christmas rush. Even though the Bell System adding 3,000 more telephone circuits to meet the demand some people will find the circuits busy when they try to call Christmas morning or evening. Especially with traveling limited for fuel shortages and cancelled airline flights. We expect more than 12 million interstate long distance calls on Christmas Day and even more local calls or overseas calls, says Mountain Bell district manager Earl Wallace. For holiday callers, here are a few tips that can save you money and speed your calls: First, dial your own calls as they are faster and less expen sive than operator handled calls. Next, Dec. 22 and 23 fall on Saturday and Sunday this year, and week end long distance rates are even lower than the holiday rates on Christmas Day. Circuits are also les busy than Christmas Day. Your call could go through faster than on the week end. It could help you keep the holiday spirit in the holidays. If you need the telephone number of a friend or relative, call Directory Assistance before the rush, so you have the number ready when circuits are busier on the holiday. Directory Assistance is If you must call on Christmas Day, do so before 8 a.m. or in Your chances are mid-afternoo- n. better. If you encounter a busy signal or have to wait awhile to get an operator, remember, more than 500 Mountain Bell operators and 68 other Mountain Bell employees will be giving up the holiday with their families so you can be in touch with yours by telephone. Higher Rate at 6 Per Cent Savings Bonds Now Paying Salt Lake County Savings Bond Chairman Gordon J. Miller, a sales representative for Bruce Transfer and Storage Co., reported that now, more than ever before, it pays to hold onto the Savings Bonds. All Series E and H Savings Bonds purchased on or after Dec. 1 will now earn 6 per cent when held to maturity as the previous rate was 5.5 per cent. Mr. Miller said the new 6 per cent rate applies both to bonds purchased on and after Dec. 1, 1973, and to those bought before that date and still outstanding. So there is no reason to redeem any Bonds to benefit from the rate increase. Further, he stated, Savings bonds are the ideal vehicle for helping ourselves and the country. As the Treasury Secretary, Mr. Schultz says, they are 'a cor nerstone of our debt management program. And, of course, the Savings Bond dollars help the federal government to finance housing, highways, education, and other programs and projects to improve our life style. Twenty three million Americans presently holding more than $60 million in the Savings Bonds and Freedom Shares will receive an additional one-ha- lf per cent return on their present bonds. No action on the part of bond holders is necessary to take advantage of the higher rate, Further, he noted, county resi dents should contact their era ployers or their banks to tak advantage of the improved rat by increasing their payroll sav ings or Bond A Month partici pation. Executive Order Ratifies Act On Emergency Housing Funds ernment, in designing the best programs for easing their particular low income housing need. The projects can be as small as some rehabilitation work on one single unit. Those jurisdictions with larger allocation may decide on new construction, leasing or other programs. Especially in the case of smaller allocations, communities are encouraged to bring together community resources such as churches and businesses or clubs, to provide donated labor and material and gion. are The Rules and Regulations thereby leverage the funds re- Governor Calvin L. Hampton ratified by executive order the Handbook of Rules and Regulations for the Administration of the Emergency Appropriation for Housing Act. This act was passed during the October Special Session of the Legislature, and provides $3 million in state e monies as emergency funds to assist in meeting Utah low income housing needs. Allocations are based on the population of the city, county or reone-tim- guidelines to the housing authorities and political jurisdictions submitting project proposals for their share of the funds. They were prepared by the Housing Development Division of the Department of Community Affairs and approved by the Governors Advisory Board on Modest Income Housing and the Governors Advisory Council on Community Affairs. The Rules and Regulations were designed to be as uncomplicated as possible, to encourage local decision making and responsibility for expenditure of the funds to increase or improve their existing stock of low income housing, while at the same time protecting public monies involved, said William Bruhn. The Housing Development Division has assigned a staff specialist to each of the seven multi county districts to provide close technical assistance to political leaders at all the levels of gov Parks-Recreati- ceived, he said. Mr. E. S. Sessions, Housing Director, explained that the applicant is required to identify the general nature in which the allocation will be used and apply for a freeze on their share of the monies. With technical assistance from the Department and existing housing authorities, specific details can be developed and implemented. The Act requires an accounting to be presented to the Legislature at the next general session. The Governors Advisory Board on Modest Income Housing is made up of 21 members, 7 from the governfental sector, 7 from private enterprise, and 7 consumer interest, to represent as fully as possible each geographical area as well as the many aspects and interests of housing in Utah. Karl Macfarlane, the vice mayor of Ogden, is chairman; Ivan Matheson, an Iron County Commissioner is vice chairman. Dept. County Sponsors Annual Ski School on The annual ski school sponsored by the Salt Lake County Recreation and Parks Department will be divided into two sessions. This announcement was made by Commissioner William E. Dunn, who said registration for both the advanced and programs began on Dec. 17. Registration hours between Mondays and Fridays will take place at the offices, 3383 South 3rd East. Com. Dunn reminded county residents that all registrations must be in person, as no registration by phone or mail will be accepted. However, he added one person can come in and register for others. n The advanced school will 5 will on Saturday, Jan. and continue for five consecutive Saturdays. Registration for the advanced program is $12 per person and the minimum age is eight years. The program is open to both children and adults. Morning sessions will begin at 10 AM and run until noon, while afternoon sessions will begin at 1 and conclude at 3 p.m. There will be about ten persons in each class and in order for a person to qualify for the advanced program he must be able to turn on skis and ride a lift. The beginners ski school is slated to begin on Saturday, Feb. 16 and continue for five consecutive Saturdays. Registration for the beginners program is $3 per person. Classes will be held from 10 AM to 12 noon. Following are the qualifications for those desiring to enrol in the beginners program: 1) A person must be at least 8 years of age and must be a beginner. A beginner is someone who has never been on skis, or 2) had never ridden a lift, or 3) cannot turn be-gine- be-wi- rs on skis. There will be about 15 students per class in the begin- ning school. Superintendent Gary Swen-se- n reminded those interested in signing up for the program that registration will be on a first No come, first served basis. more than 1,000 people will be registered for the beginning program. Opinion Poll Says No At Utah Tech for Intercollegiate Sports Intercollegiate athletics at the Utah Technical College at Salt Lake are not wanted, at least thats what a recent opinoin poll of students and faculty indicates. The pull, involving 1,663 students and 144 instructors at the school, showed 55.6 per cent of the students opposed organized intercollegiate sports programs at the college, with 44.6 per cent for the proposal. The faculty more adamantly opposed such pograms with 69 percent against and 31 per cent for such sports competition on the campus. The poll was taken to assist the colleges administration to determine a course of action in light of an intercollegiate sports vs. intramural sports controversy on campus. Utah Tech, along with Utah Technical College at Provo, was approved last summer by the Utah State Board for Vocational Education to schedule intercollegiate practice games with the other two years colleges in the state. Since that time, considerable discussion has evolved over the whether or not the school should divert funds to intercollegiate athletics or possibly increase student fees to handle their cost. |