| OCR Text |
Show Cost Of Education Spirals Faster And Higher "Total operating costs of Utah schools increased from $86,210,256 to $217,872,477, or 153 in the ten years since 1963," the Utah Taxpayers Association has announced. "The costs do not include funds spent for capital outlay and debt service," the UTA NEWS noted, "Per capita operating costs In Garfield district were $1,163.31, compared with the state average of $756.77," said the UTA NEWS. Jordan School District had the state's lowest per pupil costs wlh $681.22. Alpine District was next with $632.31. Daggett District had the high-est cost with $1,742.74. UTA claims that the teacher pupil ratio fa the most Important Item In determining school operating costs. When the ratio drops just one point, it costs taxpayers an additional $4.6 million. According to the Association, In the past ten years the ratio has dropped 11, from 26.4 to 23.4. This cut in the teacher-pupil ratio means that 1,415 more teachers are now being used to teach a similar number of pupils. The teacher-pupil ratio in Garfield District was 16.1 compared to the state average of 23.4. Daggett District had the low. est ratio with 13.9 and Washington the highest with 26.2 followed by Cache with 26.1. The UTA NEWS further noted that 1972-73 average contract salaries of classsoom teachers in Utah were $8,503, or $945 per month for time actually worked. Garfield average salary was $9,148. Association analysfats said that fringe benefits retirement, social security and In-su ranee cost taxpayers an additional $28.4 million. This fa equivalent to about $1,307 for every school employee. Adding this to the $945 per month would put monthly average teacher salaries at near $1,090. By districts, average salaries range fom a low of $7,350 In Duchesne to a high of $9,148 in Garfield. |
