From Deseret News archives:

Many Utahns may get new 'reading tax'

Law calls for matching funds from districts

Deseret News

Published: Saturday, May 15, 2004 11:53 p.m. MDT

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Use the new tax the Legislature authorized. The tax would not require a vote of the people, but it would be subject to an August truth-in-taxation hearing. It would cost about $6 in annual taxes on a $100,000 house.

Redirect local or federal money toward a reading program.

A combination of the two.

The Deseret Morning News asked representatives of Utah's 40 school districts about their plans; officials from all but three — Ogden, Rich and Wayne — returned phone messages Thursday and Friday.

Twenty-five have approved or are proposing that school boards raise the new tax, representatives said.

For some it's a painful prospect. The property tax is perhaps the most despised, as elderly and fixed-income homeowners are hit hard. Several school board members face re-election in November.

Some district officials, such as those in Beaver and Washington, are praying property values rise, which could help shoulder the burden.

"The Legislature's put us in a real bad spot," said Beaver District business administrator Laird Jenkins, whose board last week was undecided on its plans. "We could say, 'No, we're not going to go after the monies,' and not get them. But if our test scores fall behind . . . we're almost in a have-to situation."

Adding to the mix are mixed rates of return.

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State reading money is based on poverty levels and property tax base.

Tiny Tintic would get $55,500 in state money for spending $3,500 — a return of $15 for every dollar locally spent, according to numbers Evans has distributed to Salt Lake area school boards. Piute, in a similar situation, could get more than $7 for every dollar spent.

"It was such a good deal we just couldn't pass it up," said Lewis Mullins, superintendent of Piute District, which will hike taxes.

But tax-rich Park City District must invest about $115,000 to pull down about $35,000 in state funds to help low-income kids, business administrator Von Hortin said. Still, the district plans to do it, through a $4 to $5 tax on a $100,000 house.

Some, however, say a new tax would be redundant.

Districts including Tooele, Morgan and Wasatch already spend local or federal dollars on reading programs. That investment counts as a match for the state money, interim State Superintendent of Public Instruction Patrick Ogden said.

"We've spent more than what the ($223,000) local effort requirement would be," Tooele District business administrator Bill Sampson said. "In this district, the last thing we want to do is raise that total levy for anything. Hopefully, we don't have to."

Evans supports letting districts choose how to come up with their portion.