Districts may share the wealth
SB48, sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Dan Eastman, R-Bountiful, changed last week to make Salt Lake County school districts give a chunk of their building money to the new west-side Jordan School District — pretty much guaranteeing property taxes will rise for other districts in the county. That, on top of seeking $28.7 million in extra building aid for tax-poor and growing school districts statewide.
The idea is to take from tax-base-rich districts and give to the tax-poor schools, just like Utah does with income-tax money to create uniform per-student spending. Eastman views it as a compromise with those who want to extend that Robin Hood affect statewide.
But possible property-tax hikes in areas of Salt Lake County haven't been targeted as SB48's big stumbling block. Rather, it's the $28.7 million price tag.
"I think we could rally the votes" for the bill, House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, said. "But we'll have to see what the total final budget numbers are to see if it will be appropriated."
"It comes down to what's the right thing to do," said Tilton, SB48's House sponsor. "And (equalizing the property tax) is the right thing to do."
The issue is rooted in the Jordan School District split.
When east-side voters in November voted to secede, they took more than half the state's largest school district's tax base, but fewer than half of its students. That leaves the fast-growing west side, where some elementary schools enroll more than 1,000 children, without enough money to pay for needed buildings.
Legislators and split advocates saw that coming and held task force meetings on how to handle "building equalization" — an issue several long wanted to address since late spring.
The problem is this: School districts with thriving businesses and expensive houses generally have more money to build schools. A bedroom community, on the other hand, must tax residents a whole lot more to generate enough money to pay for school buildings. Add enrollment growth to the mix, and money gets real tight.
A legislative task force late last summer readied bills spelling out two different solutions for debate in a special session. But both were pulled back, and lawmakers went back to the drawing table. Eastman's bill resulted.
Recent comments
Impact fees, that is what the communities used to do until some of...
Fred | Feb. 11, 2008 at 7:34 p.m.
No, vouchers would not have been a good solution. Period.
Karen | Feb. 11, 2008 at 5:10 p.m.
It is too bad that all of these questions weren't figured out...
jon | Feb. 11, 2008 at 4:49 p.m.
