Clarification on records?

Between Thursday and Friday, the Deseret Morning News, seeking comment from the district officials, left two voice messages and sent one e-mail to Provo Superintendent Randy Merrill and business administrator Kerry Smith.

They were not returned, but Merrill had been on vacation this week.

Smith had previously said that Packard's request was not backed by a majority of the seven-member school board, which would have resulted in the district giving the information free, and had to be treated like a citizen's request.

For now, Packard, who represents Provo's west side, is just asking for one month of expenses and revenues for Timpview and Provo high schools.

In a statement released this week, Packard wrote that she is concerned about equity between schools in Provo's east side, where family incomes are higher, and the west side, where incomes are lower and neighborhoods are more ethnically diverse.

"I recently received an e-mail from the PTA president of (east side) Edgemont Elementary School," the statement said. "In it, she mentioned that she had had to raise $4,000 so that Edgemont could hire a pre-algebra teacher. I wondered how many school communities could raise that much money for any reason. Last year I noted that, in its budget, (east side) Timpview High School anticipated receiving 40 times as much money in donations as (west side) Provo High School did in its budget. Bits of information like this cause me to wonder just what funds are available to different schools."

At the next school board meeting, scheduled for August, members will discuss whether to include schools' monthly revenues and expenses in the information packet distributed to board members, district officials, teacher and employee union representatives and news reporters before each board meeting.

"Enough of the board are interested in this, at least four will end up saying yes," board president Darryl Alder said.

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E-mail: lhancock@desnews.com