School maintenance and operation may be equalized
Such a mechanism would help solve cost concerns over the school district split issue on the west side of Salt Lake County and aid high-growth areas in the state.
Currently, talks are revolving around equalizing costs and expenditures for all — meaning the tax assessable value per student would be the same and the amount of property taxes residents pay that is directed to schools would be the same. Whether that number would be equalized on a state or county basis is being debated.
"What could be fundamentally more fair than every taxpayer paying the same per assessed $100,000 home value and every student receiving the same amount?" said Brian Allen, a political consultant for Cottonwood Heights who spoke to the local issues task force Thursday about school building finance.
Two studies were recently completed showing an east-side flight from Salt Lake County's Jordan and Granite school districts would be feasible for the east but would force the west to raise property taxes to manage the growth rate and new school construction. On top of that, a split would mean less money per pupil on the west side.
"I feel an urgency to get our arms around this school building funding so as we move towards this district split, that we can give the west side some assurance," said Sen. Carlene Walker, R-Cottonwood Heights, who heads up the task force. She added that "we're not in a crisis mode" but are just "dipping our toe" into the idea.
Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, said the real focus and demand on education spending is for maintenance and operation. He said the largest portion of school building funds comes from property taxes — the $37 million the state allocates from the school building program is "less than one high school."
"When we're talking about the growth that's occurring in some sectors and you see that Jordan gets $2 million or so and Alpine gets $8 million, it's not something that is even beginning to equalize that burden of paying for school growth and the property taxes and those districts are reflecting that," he said. "We need to provide some means of an equalization for those buildings."
Holladay councilman Lynn Pace said the east side began studying the small school district not for the money, but for local control.
"My concern is that, as I have wrestled with this, it may be that the only way to make this happen fairly is with the assistance of the Legislature," said Pace, who is also co-chairman of the Granite School District Small School District Steering Committee.
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