Funding
Elementary Classroom Supplies
Utah law does not allow fees to be charged in the elementary
schools. The law defines a fee as a mandatory payment whether in the form
of money or goods. Requiring elementary students to supply the classroom
would constitute an impermissible fee.
Asked at Granger High School community meeting, October 23, 2007
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School
Funding
In Utah, basic school operations are primarily funded through
the state WPU, Weighted Pupil Unit, which is a legislated dollar amount provided
per student throughout the state. Schools in Granite District then hire
teachers according to a staffing ratio based on salary costs in relationship to
that WPU: one teacher for every 27 students in an elementary school, one teacher
per 27 students in a junior high, one teacher per 28 students registered in a
high school.
Though schools are initially funded equally, some appear to
have more programs and/or teachers than other schools for several reasons.
Other funds allocated by the state
(Trustlands,
Quality Teaching/Student Achievement monies) are spent according to plans
generated by the school Community Council and can dramatically affect both
people and programs. Schools identified as high risk according to certain
demographic data qualify for federal Title I funds intended to provide extra
support for economically disadvantaged students. Title III monies provide
targeted resources to English language learners, and federal dollars are also
allocated to some schools for safety and drug and alcohol programs on the basis
of such identified needs. Additionally, many schools apply for grants and
are awarded funds for programs they desire to create or to hire additional staff
or specialized personnel.
Again, although all school funding begins at the same level,
it is because of these different funding sources intended to equalize the
playing field for students that some schools appear to have more and varied
programs and personnel than others.
Asked at Granger High School community meeting, October 23, 2007
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School Supplies
Each school is given an allocation, based on the number of
enrolled students, for purchasing student and teacher supplies. Some school
staffs and PTA’s have chosen to supplement this allocation through fund raisers.
If you have questions regarding school supply budgets or fundraising activities
at your child’s school, please contact the school administration.
Asked at Granger High School community meeting, October 23, 2007
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Fee waivers
Utah law allows fees to be charged in the secondary schools. The law also
allows for the waiver of fees for families that meet certain financial
eligibility requirements. Eligibility is governed by these laws and schools
have little discretion to either exempt or include a family. The law was
recently amended requiring additional documentation to prove eligibility.
Asked at Granite High School community meeting, October 24,
2007
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Funding
It is the understanding of the school
district that the funding committed by
West
Valley
City to help with the
Granger Elementary move and construction has been provided. Please check with
the principal at Granger Elementary for confirmation.
Asked at Hunter High School community meeting, November 7, 2007
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Money for teacher projects
School teachers, charitable and committed to their students by nature, regularly
contribute their own resources to classroom decorations, class activities and
individual projects. Such generosity, however, is purely voluntary. All schools
receive discretionary funding to support classroom and school activities
according to student enrollment; in fact, last year Granite’s Board of Education
tripled that amount for its elementary schools. In addition, teachers annually
receive a legislated dollar amount earmarked specifically for such incidental
expenses as a classroom teacher might incur personally.
Asked at Olympus High School community meeting, November 28, 2007
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Upgrade textbooks, provide
for all classes
Textbook funding for schools is provided through both state monies and, in
Granite District’s case, a local tax levied nearly a decade ago for buildings,
textbooks and technology. These funds are allocated to schools on the basis of
student enrollment. In addition, the district provides a rotation schedule
recommendation which suggests the content area in which books ought to be
purchased annually to guarantee that each subject receives similar attention and
that textbooks used for primary instruction are current and tied to the core
curriculum. Recent surveys of schools have indicated that adequate funding is
available to meet their textbook needs. Not all teachers, however, provide a
book for every student to take home regularly. Such situations relate to books
used only as classroom resources, supplemental textbooks, research sources, etc.
All students in Granite District should have access to textbooks sufficient for
their needs. Questions concerning availability of specific textbooks should be
directed to the school principal.
Asked at Olympus High School community meeting, November 28, 2007
Asked at Taylorsville High School community meeting, January
22,
2008
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Low teacher salaries
We are fortunate in Granite School District to offer our teachers one of the
most competitive salary and benefit packages in the state of Utah. For the
past two years, Granite’s salary and benefit package for its teachers has ranked
in the top 5, out of all 40 school districts. Granite has been able to
pass the entire weighted pupil increase on to teachers in the form of salary and
benefits, largely because we are a self insured entity. Granite has the
ability to be self insured due to the large number of employees who participate
in the insurance program. This fact has helped shelter us from the
tremendous increase in insurance costs felt by other school districts that are
not self insured. For the first time in the history of Granite School District, the starting salary for
a beginning teacher is over $30,000 per year, and the maximum teacher salary
exceeds $63,000. Unfortunately the state of Utah still ranks near the
bottom in terms of salaries for teachers.
It is our sincere hope that the legislature will continue to do everything
possible to provide the resources which would allow all school districts
throughout the state to be competitive with other states around the country.
We agree that low teacher pay has a tremendous impact on attracting quality
teachers. It is our hope that it will improve.
Asked at Olympus High School community meeting, November 28, 2007
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Community council funds
The School Community Council helps direct funding to meet the goals of the SSAP
(School Student Achievement Plan) and the school LAND Trust Plan. The funding
source for these plans comes from both QTSA and LAND Trust funds. State
guidelines limit the acceptable expenditures from these funds. Check with your
principal or School Community Council Chair for specific details.
Asked at Cyprus High School community meeting, January 8,
2008
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Reducing class size
Each year the legislature establishes a dollar amount for the Weighted Pupil
Unit, that is, a dollar amount per student. The WPUs represent the money that
pays for operations and maintenance (everything from utility costs at the
schools to fuel for school buses). Funds for teachers also come from the WPU. In
many years, the WPU increase has not covered the increases in costs of doing
business – the same inflation costs that impact families also impact school
districts – and student opportunities have been reduced and class sizes have
sometimes needed to be increased.
Last year’s legislative increase to the WPU gave Granite’s board the opportunity
to reduce class sizes. We are dependent upon the legislature for future
increases.
As the legislature adopts the education budget, the district is able to
establish a school staffing ratio. Each school then receives its staffing
allocation based on the number of students in the school. The decision how to
balance actual class sizes in a specific school, given the staffing allocation,
is made at the school level.
Asked at Cyprus High School community meeting, January 8,
2008
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Use enrollment numbers as a way to fix financial issues. Determine an
optimum size and try to work toward that
Optimal enrollment is one of the issues that are considered in determining
school boundaries and populations. The Annual Population Review Procedures
require that student enrollment, neighborhood schools, limited use of
relocatables, and minimal busing among other issues are considered in
population analysis. For the full text of the procedures, visit our website.
One of the challenges of Granite School District has been the simultaneous
student population decline in some areas and student population increase in
other areas. This concurrent population increase in some locations and
decline in other locations have stressed the system. In either situation,
school climate and programs are impacted by student enrollment. Schools face
eliminating staff, programs, or creating split grade levels when populations
decline or face crowded facilities limiting the programs that may reasonably
be offered when populations increase. Remedies include consolidating
boundaries and reapportioning students to increase enrollment or building
new facilities to accommodate an increased number of students
School physical facility size and target enrollments are developed in
consultation with principals, staff, and patrons. Financial issues do
influence the process in that they limit what may be done with staffing
ratios, physical facility upgrades, new school buildings, and program
offerings in any given fiscal year. The district continues to allocate
resources in order to provide the greatest benefit with the resources
available. As more resources become available, Granite School District will
continue to move towards best possible use of those funds that will include
creating physical facilities and maintaining student enrollment at optimal
levels.
Asked at Skyline High School community meeting, January 16,
2008
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Equity between genders in athletics
The funding of men’s and women’s sports is the same. Coaches for sports are paid
the same regardless of whether the sport is a men’s or women’s sport. Budgets
are the same as well. A school’s men’s basketball budget, for example, is the
same as the women’s basketball budget. Parents who are concerned about this
assertion are encouraged to meet first with the school administration and then
with district personnel for resolution.
Asked at Skyline High School community meeting, January 16, 2008
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Where is
the accountability of where funds are being spent?
School districts are accountable to the public that they serve. This is
accomplished through their elected school board members who spend endless hours
reviewing budgets, determining priorities and approving expenditures. Districts
are required by law to have public budget hearings prior to adoption and then
usually post their financial information out on their web page. They prepare an
annual financial report that is filed with the State Board of Education as well
as the State Auditor.
Districts are also required to have an annual audit done by an outside,
independent CPA firm and are subject to legislative audits whenever they are
requested.
Asked at Skyline High School community meeting, January 16,
2008
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Where is money going and how
is it spent?
In an annual budget of $566 million dollars it would be
difficult to tell you where all of the money is going. In the General Fund of
$407 million dollars, ninety percent of the money is spent on employee salaries
and benefits, as education is a very labor intensive business. Another
$106 million dollars will be spent this year in Capital Outlay for buildings and
equipment and $21 million for school lunch.
All of this information is available on
the district’s web page at
www.graniteschools.org
and you are welcome to call the budget office if you have
any questions.
Asked at Skyline High School community meeting, January 16,
2008
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Go
for a bond to finance new schools and alleviate over crowding
Thank you for your suggestion and assumed support to sell bonds, even if it
means an increase in Granite’s property tax rate. The district has worked hard
to get out of debt. As with any personal mortgage, it is nice to save the
interest and pay-as-you-go. After many years of bonding through the growth
years, in 1996 the district paid off all of their debt and shifted the
debt-service levies to the capital outlay fund to pay cash for the new projects.
That has worked well for many years as we were able to construct ten new schools
and save millions of dollars of interest and still maintain one of the lowest
tax rates along the Wasatch Front. However, with new growth on the west side,
growing replacement needs across the district and rapid increase in building
costs, the district is currently looking at getting back into bonding.
Before the district could sell bonds, it would be necessary to hold a district
wide vote for authorization. That process has at times been questioned since we
have lost 10,000 students and should be closing a number of schools.
Asked at Skyline High School community meeting, January 16,
2008
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Where does the money go that is earmarked for decreased class size mandated by
legislature?
All of the money received by Granite for class size reduction has gone to pay
for additional teachers to reduce class size. In a recent legislative audit
Granite was recognized as one of the few districts that could account for every
dollar being spent for its intended purpose. Unfortunately, keeping up with
salary increases and pockets of growth in some schools has used some of that
money and not shown additional decreases.
Granite has also put some of their local funds into reducing class size as this
is a high priority for the board of education, but it takes millions of dollars
to reduce classes by just one or two students.
Asked at Skyline High School community meeting, January 16,
2008
Top
Why is school money
going for Cottonwood Mall?
The funds that you refer to are not actual dollars available in today’s budget,
but are new tax dollars that the RDA project should generate. They are the
future “growth” dollars that the district would get only if the project is
successful and increases the assessed value of that property.
Yes, our dollars would be better spent on our educational needs, but they may
not be there without some assistance. On the Cottonwood Mall project the
district revenue is projected to increase from today’s $171,000 to $4 million
dollars at the end of the 20 year proposal.
We need to ask the question, would the developer build the project without the
public dollars? If yes, then they wouldn’t need the district’s tax dollars. But,
if it wouldn’t happen without some assistance, then it’s probably a good
investment and we will see a significant increase in tax revenues when the
project is completed.
Asked at Skyline High School community meeting, January 16,
2008
Top
Would support a
bond to give many schools a face lift
Thank you for your suggestion and assumed support to sell bonds, even if it
means an increase in Granite’s property tax rate. The district has worked hard
to get out of debt. As with any personal mortgage, it is nice to save the
interest and pay-as-you-go. After many years of bonding through the growth
years, in 1996 the district paid off all of their debt and shifted the
debt-service levies to the capital outlay fund to pay cash for the new projects.
That has worked well for many years as we were able to construct ten new schools
and save millions of dollars of interest and still maintain one of the lowest
tax rates along the Wasatch Front. However, with new growth on the west side,
growing replacement needs across the district and rapid increase in building
costs, the district is currently looking at getting back into bonding.
Before the district could sell bonds, it would be necessary to hold a district
wide vote for authorization. That process has at times been questioned since we
have lost 10,000 students and should be closing a number of schools.
Asked at Skyline High School community meeting, January 16,
2008
Top
I am under the impression that a high or majority of tax revenue comes from the
east side, but the schools on the west side are better funded, am I incorrect?
During the recent discussions about splitting the district the Jordan River was
used as the dividing line. Only 47% of the assessed value is on the east side,
while 53% was on the west. This is a pretty equal distribution for collection of
taxes. However, 75% of the students are on the west side. Most of the operating
funds (from state WPUs ) are allocated by enrollment so that teaching resources
and supplies provide an equal educational opportunity. But, because of the
overhead cost of the east side schools, with lower enrollments, it is more
expensive to educate a student on the east side.
Asked at Skyline High School community meeting, January 16,
2008
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Funds
should be handled through main offices, not teachers
We agree teachers need time for curriculum and fewer operational tasks. We are
currently working to redefine some of those administrative functions. Handling
funds through the office and/or electronic payments would also improve the
control of cash.
Asked at Skyline High School community meeting, January 16,
2008
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Grants for schools
Many schools in Granite District are able to implement innovative programs, hire
additional staff or provide increased professional development opportunities for
teachers through application for and receipt of grant funds. Whether the monies
are federal, state or local, grant funding can support a School Student
Achievement Plan in many ways; sustaining the services provided by the grant can
be problematic after it has expired, though.
The district frequently provides support and expertise to schools who are
applying for grants. We help them collect appropriate data, create a plan, and
ultimately assign a district administrator to help oversee its smooth
implementation when a grant is awarded.
Asked at Taylorsville High School community meeting, January
22,
2008
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Are you making money
stretch as far as you can?
We think we are, but it obviously doesn’t go as far as we would like. The board
spends several months every year working on their priorities and building the
budget to reflect those needs. Utah still spends the least amount of money per
student of any state in the nation, so we are certainly limited. Schools are a
very labor intensive business, and in our general fund, 90% of the expenditures
are for salaries and benefits; so there is not much money left for discretionary
spending. The board is always open for suggestions.
Asked at Cyprus High School community meeting, January 8,
2008
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If the district splits how can the west side parents get a vote? Will taxes go
up $800 a year?
The requirement that only patrons in the “new” district get to vote was put in
state statute by last year’s legislature. The best way to clarify the issue
would be to change the law to allow everyone that may be affected the right to
vote. This issue has been the subject of much discussion and may still be
decided in a court of law.
We don’t have good information about how large the tax increase might be. But
with a lower assessed valuation per student and increasing demand for new
schools to house the growth on the west side, it is very likely that there would
be a significant tax increase.
Asked at Cyprus High School community meeting, January 8,
2008
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I
would like to know where our extra property tax dollars are going
The district’s tax rate has actually gone down for the last 3 years. While many
people have paid higher taxes as their assessed values have increased, others
have gone down. The only new tax dollars the district typically gets are the new
growth, from construction projects. Any new tax dollars would likely be applied
to teacher’s salaries, class size reduction and building projects.
Asked at Cyprus High School community meeting, January 8,
2008
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