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Show Garfield Schools To Receive 9.8 Increase For 75- 76 Programs Total operating funds available in the Garfield School District next year are expected to rise by $108,581 or 9.8 percent. For the state as a whole, the increase in school operating funds will amount to $36.2 million, or 14.8 percent. These were some of the facts reported by Utah Foundation, the private research organization, in their latest analysis of 1975 legislation affecting education in Utah. The study indicates that Garfield School District is expected to receive $1,220,835 or $728 per weighted pupil unit in school operating funds during the forthcoming 1975-76 school year. This compares with $1,112,254 or $654 per weighted pupil unit available during the 1974-75 school year. For the state as a whole, the increase in school operating funds will amount to $36.2-million, or 14.8-percent. Foundation analysts observe that the level of basic school support for local schools was raised by 10.9 percent from $560 to $621 per weighted pupil unit. Inflation was the major factor responsible for this increase. In addition to raising the level of basic school support, the 1975 Utah Legislature also boosted the amount of state aid for pupil transportation by 55 percent and appropriated $2,000,000 to provide free textbooks and laboratory material used by high school pupils. The increased funds for pupil transportation is intended to raise state participation from 77 percent to 100 percent of approved transportation costs. The Foundation study also notes that legislation enacted this year will provide greatly expanded retirement benefits for public school and state employees. State aid to cover the local district's share of Social Security and state retirement costs for public school employees will rise by 26 percent to $37.3 million next year. Altogether, state funds for both local school and higher education operating costs will rise by $50.4 million in 1975-76. This sum is equal to 63 percent of the total $80 million increase in state spending for operating purposes authorized by the 1975 Utah Legislature for all func tions and activities of state government. In addition to the increased operating funds for education, most of the funds appropriated for new buildings this year also will be earmarked for education. The study notes that a total of $C6.7 million was appropriated for building projects at the state institutions of higher education and an additional $5.1 million will go for technical and vocational centers at Roosevelt and Richfield. General fund appropriations for higher education in 1975-76 were set at $87,847,000 an increase of $13.6 million, or 18.3 percent above the adjusted appropriations for the 1974-75 fiscal year. The Legislature also authorized an $8 per quarter increase in resident tuition fees for.jiext year. ,iAU nine institutions of higher education have approved this maximum $8 per quarter (or $24 per year) tuition boost. Moreover, schools also raised some of the other special (pes charged to students. According to the Foundation analysis, most institutions also boosted the special charges for nonresident students for next year. Despite these increases in tuitions and fees to out-of-state students, total charges for such students still will be 30 percent to 68 percent below the actual average cost to the State of educating such students in 1974-75. Over the past ten years, the proportion of nonresident students attending Utah colleges has not declined appreciably despite the fact that there have been some substantial increases in nonresident fees during this period. For many years, Utah has had one of the highest net in-migration rates for college students in the n'ation. |
