Why we need equity in pupil funding and how to get it The Equity Pupil Unit Why we need equity in pupil funding and how to get it

Our Commitment UTAH CONSITUTION ARTICLE X: The Legislature shall provide for the establishment and maintenance of…a public education system, which shall be open to all children of the state…Public elementary and secondary schools shall be free. UCA 62A-4a-201(1)(d): The state recognizes that: (i) a parent has the right, obligation, responsibility, and authority to raise, manage, train, educate, provide and care for, and reasonably discipline the parent's children; and (ii) the state's role is secondary and supportive to the primary role of a parent.

What that commitment means The reason to build and fund schools is to support a parent in fulfilling the parent’s obligation to educate a child Our commitment is to EVERY parent, EVERY family, and EVERY child. The VALUE of our education system isn’t in the schools, the curriculum, or the teachers: It is in the CHILD. The value of a child’s education doesn’t change based on where that child lives or what model of school the child attends.

The Problem: Massive inequity in education funding State funding is equitable through the Weighted Pupil Unit, but local funding is not From Utah Taxpayers, the gap between the lowest and highest funded districts is $6,782 per student, or 115 percent. When a child moves from ZIP code 84094 (Sandy) to 84095 (South Jordan), his education funding drops by 27%. The value of his education hasn’t changed? Why does the investment we make? Source: Annual Financial Reports. General Fund, Debt Service, and Capital Projects Funds Only, excluding Transportation.

The results of inequity: Lower Teacher Compensation Park City District, which receives 89% more total funding than the average district spends about 29% more for starting teachers, and about 17 percent more for experienced teachers Wasatch receives 52% more funding per student than Jordan, but pays only aobut 3% more for a new teacher Funding inequity has put a low ceiling on teacher salaries by keeping the lowest funded students from competing to drive salaries up Source: Utah Education Association 2013-2014 Teacher Salary Schedules & Comparisons: http://www.myuea.org/sites/utahedu/Uploads/2013-2014%20District%20Salary%20Schedules.pdf

The results of inequity: More spending on Administration As a general rule, as per student funding goes higher, the percentage of spending on administration increases, even accounting for differences in the size of school districts (economies of scale) For example, in Canyons School District, an astonishing 33% of their funding above the state average is spent on administration Source: Annual Financial Reports. General Fund spending on District, School, and Central Support Services

The results of inequity: More spending on buildings As a general rule, as per student funding goes higher, the percentage of spending on facilities increases, even accounting for differences in the size of school districts (economies of scale) (Jordan’s is skewed lower here because of a failed bond in 2014.)

The Solution: The Equity Pupil Unit Tie growth in equity funding to increases in the Weighted Pupil Unit Increase education funding faster to the lowest funded students to close the gap between the floor and the ceiling SB244 called for sending 1/3 of the WPU increase to increase funding for lower funded students, and 2/3 distributed equally for all students

The Promise of the Equity Pupil Unit We have a moral and constitutional obligation to every child The value of a child’s education doesn’t change when a child moves The disparity in per student funding is resulting in wasteful education spending Closing the funding gap between the highest and lowest funded districts will mean more buying power in the market for teachers, which will drive teacher salaries higher Within a generation, we can achieve equitable funding for (nearly) every child