Show Federal Influence Grows In Davis County Schools Schools' Federal funds accounted for tor or of the total revenue of ing school lunch received by the Davis School District during the 66 1965 school year THIS TInS WAS disclosed In a special study of federal aid In Inthe Inthe inthe the Utah schools Just completed by Utah Foundation the private governmental research organ organ- ration According to the Foundation report federal aid to Utah's 40 school districts totaled 10 or 67 of the total revenue revenue rev rev- excluding school lunch funds received by all districts last year When school lunch funds are included federal aid Including the value of commodities commodities commodities commod commod- amounted to or 81 of all local school district district dis dis- revenue THE STUDY points out that even more significant than the direct federal contributions to local school budgets is the Influence in influence influence in- in fluence of federal funds in the operations of the State School Office Approximately 69 of the operating budget of the Utah Department of Public Instruction Instruction Instruction tion this year will come from federal funds Much of the direction for lo local local local lo- lo cal school operations ste stems ms from policies formulated In the State School Office FOUNDATION analysts note that federal aid for local schools in Utah has increased 37 times rise since 1960 compared compared com corn pared wi with th a 73 Increase in into into- to total total to- to tal school revenue A large part of oC this Increase is the re result result re- re sult suit of new federal war on poverty programs such as the manpower development act the economic opportunity act and the elementary and secondary education act Despite the substantial in increase increase increase in- in crease in federal school aid re received received received re- re reI I during recent years the report states that Utah derives a smaller proportion of its revenue revenue revenue rev rev- from federal sources than do most other states According to the latest estimates prepared by the National Education Association Association Association Asso Asso- Utah ranks among mong the 50 states in the percentage of its total school revenue from federal sources A MAJOR reason for the relatively relatively relatively rel rel- rel- rel low ranking of Utah in inthe inthe inthe the receipt of federal funds ac according according according ac- ac I cording to the Utah Foundation study is that federal allocation formulae for distributing school aid are in most cases able for Utah This is especially especial especial- ly true In the case of the formula formula for for- formula mula used to distribute school aid under the federal elementary elementary elementary elemen elemen- tary and secondary act of 1965 The amount of federal aid is in many cases not related either either elther eith eith- er to the capacity or the effort of the respective states to support support support sup sup- port their own public schools For example the state of Illinois Illi nois which devotes only 30 of its personal income to support of the public schools lowest effort effort ef- ef ef fort among all of the states and with per per capita income of second high among the states in income per school child re received received re- re cei ved 42 of its total school operating expenditures from the federal general aid allot allot- ment UT UTAH AH IN contrast with a aper aper aper per capita income of 2355 ranking 50 states in Income per school child and spending 54 of its income for public school operations among the top three in effort received only 24 of the current costs for school operations from its federal allotment This was less than 60 of the relative aid re received received re- re cei ved by the state of Illinois The states of New York 41 Florida 60 Minnesota Minnesota Minnesota Minne Minne- sota 5 53 Nebraska 55 Pennsylvania 51 Rhode Is Island Island Island Is- Is land 54 Missouri 75 Wisconsin 41 and the District District District Dis Dis- of Columbia 73 all 73 all with per capita incomes considerably consid consid- above Utah's and with local effort to sup support 5 U p p 0 r t the schools below Utah's fared considerably better pro proportionately proportionately proportion proportion- than Utah AMONG WESTERN states whose per capita income is higher than Utah's and school effort lower states receiving a larger share of federal general aid in 1966 were Idaho 41 Colorado 40 M Montana on ta n a 43 Arizona 58 California California California Cali Cali- fornia 33 Washington 31 Oregon 34 In contrast Utah's federal aid aidI I proportion was 24 |