Senate committee passes bill to aid tax-poor school districts

Monday morning, lawmakers gave the nod to a bill to nearly double the amount of state building aid for tax-poor school districts — key in the movement to split large school districts.

Substitute SB48, sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Dan Eastman, R-Bountiful, would add $28.7 million to the state's Capitol Outlay Foundation Program, bringing its total to about $56 million. The 2007 Legislature also gave the program a $50 million one-time boost.

The proposal, which passed the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee, would help school districts without a big property-tax base to build needed schools. It would not dole money based on enrollment growth.

The bill, recommended by a building equalization task force, gives more money to all 14 participating districts. But those who raise taxes to at least a .003 rate — Tintic, South Sanpete, Nebo, Tooele, Alpine, Ogden and the coming west-side Jordan District do that — would get the full benefit under the bill, according to Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel data.

Jordan District's west side would get $6.45 million under the proposal; the east side, like 25 other school districts, would get none. Alpine district would get $10.4 million, or $6.3 million more. Nebo would get $7 million, nearly double what it's getting now.