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Show Utah Foundation Study Compares Two School Financing Programs Utah Foundation, the private non profit tax research orgnai-zation, orgnai-zation, today released a study comparing the principal points of the public school finance plan recommended by the 60-man Public School Survey Commission with the modified plan proposed by the Utah Legislative Council. According to the Foundation analysts, the chief difference between be-tween the two plans lies in deciding de-ciding which level of Governmentstate Govern-mentstate or local should determine de-termine the amount needed for a minimum program and bear the responsibility for imposing the necessary additional taxes. The study notes that this determination de-termination remains with the local lo-cal school boards under the Legislative Leg-islative Council plan. Under present school laws, which would be extended by the Tublic School Survey Commission plan, the responsibility re-sponsibility is assumed largely by the State to fix the amount to be spent, and to levy substantial substan-tial property or other taxes to meet that part of school costs which bears a state label. This latter procedure raises more of the added funds by state-imposed rather than local tax levies. lev-ies. Approximately the same amount of equalization would be afforded to the poorer school districts dis-tricts of the State under both plans, the report says. However, the Legislative Council plan Is designed to be financed without additional state funds. Thus, the Council plan would emphasize leaving property taxes to the districts dis-tricts where they are levied and collected, achieving equalization through the distribution of the income tax, corporation franchise tax, and other state school revenues. reve-nues. The School Survey Commission Com-mission plan, on the other hand, would require additional funds of approximately $2,243,000 for operation to be raised by state property or other taxes. Present school laws provide for a state-guaranteed program of $3,300 per classroom unit with transportation allowances plus a state supported supplemental program amounting to 30 per cent of the basic program, or a total of $4,290 ($3,300 plus 30) per classroom unit plus transportation. trans-portation. Recommendations of the School Survey Commission would raise the state-guaranteed basic program pro-gram to $3,500 per classroom unit plus transportation allowances, and increase the supplemental program up to a maximum of 347c of the basic program. Thus, the maximum total state-guaranteed program under the School Survey Commission recommendations recommenda-tions would be $4,500 ($3,500 plus 34) per classroom unit plus transportation. Other major financial recommendations recom-mendations of the School Survey Commission would permit allocation allo-cation of funds on the basis of current year enrollments rather than prior year enrollments and increase transportation allocations alloca-tions to districts , by approximately approxi-mately $225,000 per year. These other major school survey recommendations rec-ommendations have been adopted adopt-ed and made a part of the school finance plan formulated by the Utah Legislative Council. The Legislative Council staff plan would allow each district to determine its own state-supported school program and its own mill levy at some point between be-tween a minimum of $3,500 and $4,550 per classroom unit plus transportation, exclusive of local leeway. If a district chooses a program of $3,500 per classroom unit, It would be required to levy a local tax of 12.5 mills ($12.50 per $1,000 assessed valuation) in order to participate in state-aid. A program of $4,550 per class-room class-room unit would require a 16-mills 16-mills local effort. The difference between the total cost of the guaranteed program selected and the amount raisel by the re- quired local levy would be provided pro-vided to the district from state-aid. |
