June 07, 2006

Public Education Funding

There is nothing like Education to bring our emotions quickly to the surface! And last week Education was again in the news. The Deseret News reported that the State Board of Education is considering new ways to ensure adequate funding. One idea was a referendum to freeze the statewide property tax or a constitutional amendment that would ensure public education was funded adequately. Another idea from Patrick Ogden, the state associate superintendent, was to file a law suit, which seems to be the way to solve problems in our society today.

Since public education is designed in Utah to be controlled mostly by the local school districts, I find it very interesting that when the education community has concerns about funding they always come to the State level. I’m sure it is because the legislature is the biggest target, and if they can gang up on the legislature there is a better chance of getting the funding, and all at once.

But, the legislature shouldn’t be seen as the only source for new funding, or even the primary one. We have a great system. Whoever set it up, decades ago, was way ahead of their time. Our system was designed for the state to fund a weighted pupil unit and then for the local districts to use property tax to fund any additional needs. Because local areas have such varying needs, it was never the plan for the state alone to ensure total funding, nor should it be. The beauty of this plan is that the local districts and their boards can show their patrons what the local need is and raise the property tax to fill that need instead of the legislature raising a state wide tax and the local districts not being held accountable for the use of the funds. The dilemma for the education community -- they have to raise the funds one district at a time.

This is a subject that won’t be solved anytime too soon, but there are some districts willing to go to their patrons and ask for more money now. The Provo School District has a vote on the ballot this month which asks for an increase in the property tax that can be used to run the district. They are trying to use the system the way it should be used. I hope their patrons will get out and vote and be a part of the solution.

What a great idea.

Posted by Jeff at 10:30 AM | Comments (3)