Research shows classroom expenditures are a five times better indicator of academic improvement than overall spending, so why do some Utah School Districts spend so little of our tax dollars in the classroom?
Our school boards and district administrators have direct management and responsibility for Utah’s schools. The most efficient school districts in the US only place about $0.65 of every $1.00 into actually educating out children. A 35% overhead is extremely high in any business operation; we must not forget that our schools are in the business of educating our children.
An increase in efficiency of only 1% would free over $22, 488,944 for use in the Utah classrooms. Surely our school district officials can find a 1% increase in efficiency and put 22 million dollars back into the classrooms.
As your state representative, I will work to hold schools district administrators accountable to use state funding in the classroom, and to lower administrative overhead and other non-instructional costs. How?
- Every school district shall achieve a minimum of 65% of their budget being spent on “classroom instruction” using the National Center for Educational Statistics definitions:
- Definition of Classroom Instruction by the National Center for Educational Statistics:
- “In the Classroom”
- Classroom Teachers, Personnel
- General Instruction Supplies
- Instructional Aides
- Activities -- Field Trips, Athletics, Music, Arts
- Special Needs Instruction
- Tuition Paid to Out-of State Districts & Private Institutions for Special Needs Students
- "Outside the Classroom”
- Administration
- Plant Operations & Maintenance
- Food Services
- Transportation
- Instructional Staff Support
- Student Support – Nurses, Therapists, Counselors
- School Districts that currently fall below the 65% goal shall be required to increase that percentage by a minimum of 2% a year until the 65% goal is met.
- School Districts would be required to send their annual proposed budgets to the Governor verifying that the 65% goal or 2% annual improvement is being made.
- School Districts that believe they can neither meet the 65% goal nor 2% annual improvement may petition the Governor for a renewable one-year waiver along with their proposal of what can be achieved toward reaching the 65% goal.
- The Governor shall have 30 days to either deny or grant the one-year waiver or grant a partial one-year waiver short of the 65% goal or 2% annual increase.
- The Legislature will have the opportunity to determine what action may be taken if School Districts do not comply with the requirements.
I will not talk the talk as others have done. I’ll walk the walk without listening to, or making, excuses. Do our children and our state’s future deserve any less? It’s time to get this job done.
