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Show r'Total Maintenance and Operating costs of Utah schools increased from $101,194,353 to $240,530,407, or 138 percent ii the 10 years since 1964," tfre Utah Taxpayers Association Associa-tion said. "THE COSTS do not include funds spent for Capi tal Outlay and Debt Service," the UTA News noted. "Per capita operating costs in DavisDistrict were $799.43 compared with the state average of $840.64," said the Tax Research organization. ALPINE SCHOOL district had the state's lowest per pupil costs with $754.14. Grand District was next with $762.46. Daggett District had the high est costs-$1,866.81. UTA CLAIMS that the teacher-pupil ratio is the most important item in determining determin-ing school operating costs. When the ratio drops just one point.itcoststhetaxpayersan . additional $5.5 million. According Ac-cording to the Association, in the past 10 years the ratio has dropped 11 percent, from 25.9 to 22.9. This cut in the teacher-pupil teacher-pupil ratio means that 1,421 more teachers are now being used to teach a similar number of pupils than ten years ago. THE teacher-pupil ratio in Davis District was 22.8 compared com-pared to the state average of 22.9. Daggett District had the lowest ratio, with 12.6 and Washington the highest, with 25.7, followed by Nebo with 25.6. THE UTA News further noted that the 1973-74 average contract salaries of classroom teachers in Utah were $9,146, or $1,016 per month for time actually worked. The 1974 average teacher salary is$643 overthe $8,503 paid in 1973. Davis District average salary was $9,164. Association analysts said that fringe benefits -- re- tirement, social security, and insurance - cost taxpayers an additional $32 .3 million. This is equivalent to about $1,462 for every school employee per year. Adding this to the $1,016 per month salary would put monthly average teacher salaries at near $1,179. BY DISTRICTS, average salaries range from a low of $7,630 in Daggett to a high of $9,810 in Tooele. |