News Releases
Guest opinion: Funding â or defunding â schools
by Deborah Gatrell
Itâs that time of year again! Property taxes are coming due and itâs clear that the largest chunk of these taxes goes to local school districts for our local public schools. Why are our taxes increasing and what can we do about it?
Itâs actually the state legislatureâs job to fund our local schools â Utahâs state constitution clearly states âThe Legislature shall provide for the establishment and maintenance of the stateâs school systemsâ (italics added). But the Legislature has the power to create and use additional funding streams, and they do. Funding for local public and charter schools currently comes from Federal funds (~12%), state funds (~64%), and local funds (~24%) and this balance has shifted â local funding only provided 12% of the Basic School Program cost in 2015.
For about 75 years, the Legislature has used Income Tax almost exclusively to fund Education. When the Income Tax was created in 1931, it was a progressive tax with higher rates for higher earners until 2007 when Utah switched to a single-rate Flat Tax of 5%. According to a 2016 Utah Foundation study, Utah Education loses out on more than $1 billion each year due to tax changes like this. Since 2007, the Legislature has championed multiple âYear(s) of the Tax Cut.â When Income Taxes are cut, there is less money available for public education. At the same time, the Legislature passes more than 100 Education bills each year, many of which are unfunded or insufficiently funded mandates.
Who gets left holding the tax bag? Our local school districts. And you. (Read More)
Nationally recognized female leaders to address impact of religion and peacebuilding on community and international relations
In partnership with Bellwether International, Utah Global Diplomacy will convene local, state, and national leaders and advocates to discuss the vital contributions women make in peacebuilding and interfaith dialogue at its Bridging Religious Divides Symposium. The all-day event will feature remarks from 11 high-profile female thought leaders representing a variety of approaches to this critical topic. Attendees will explore how women shape efforts to overcome societal divides rooted in religion and polarization. The event will be held Thursday, Sept. 26, from 8:30 am - 3:00 pm at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center in West Valley, (Read More)
Utah kindergarteners show significant reading gains
The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) is pleased to announce that Utahâs kindergarten students are demonstrating remarkable improvements in reading proficiency, according to the latest Acadience Reading data. The Acadience Reading assessment measures basic early literacy skills and is a valuable tool for tracking student progress and identifying areas for improvement.
Currently, 93 schools, representing 22 districts and three charter schools, have 70 percent or more kindergarteners at the âabove benchmarkâ level. Scoring âabove benchmarkâ means a student has a 90-99 percent chance of meeting subsequent literacy benchmarks and may benefit from instruction on more advanced skills. âAt benchmarkâ means that a student has a 70-85 percent chance of achieving future literacy goals and is likely to make adequate progress with effective core instruction. (Read More)
Romney, Hassan, Warner, Ernst introduce bipartisan legislation to fight pandemic relief fraud
U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs (HSGAC) Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight Subcommittee, Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Subcommittee Chair, Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), and Joni Ernst (R-IA) today introduced the COVID Spending Transparency Act of 2024, bipartisan legislation that would extend the term of the Treasury Departmentâs Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR)âcurrently scheduled to sunset at the end of March 2025âfor another five years. (Read More)
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