Districts may share the wealth

Robin Hood is creeping into a bill to help tax-poor school districts build schools — and is the central character in a back-up bill in case the first one trips over its $28.7 million price tag.

SB48, sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Dan Eastman, R-Bountiful, changed last week to make Salt Lake County school districts give a chunk of their building money to the new west-side Jordan School District — pretty much guaranteeing property taxes will rise for other districts in the county. That, on top of seeking $28.7 million in extra building aid for tax-poor and growing school districts statewide.

The idea is to take from tax-base-rich districts and give to the tax-poor schools, just like Utah does with income-tax money to create uniform per-student spending. Eastman views it as a compromise with those who want to extend that Robin Hood affect statewide.

But possible property-tax hikes in areas of Salt Lake County haven't been targeted as SB48's big stumbling block. Rather, it's the $28.7 million price tag.

"I think we could rally the votes" for the bill, House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, said. "But we'll have to see what the total final budget numbers are to see if it will be appropriated."

If the answer is no, Rep. Aaron Tilton, R-Springville, says his HB383 would take Eastman's Salt Lake County — "share the wealth" idea statewide — much like the one legislators had all ready to go, but pulled back, in a summertime special session. Tilton says his bill wouldn't require a state investment.

"It comes down to what's the right thing to do," said Tilton, SB48's House sponsor. "And (equalizing the property tax) is the right thing to do."

The issue is rooted in the Jordan School District split.

When east-side voters in November voted to secede, they took more than half the state's largest school district's tax base, but fewer than half of its students. That leaves the fast-growing west side, where some elementary schools enroll more than 1,000 children, without enough money to pay for needed buildings.

Legislators and split advocates saw that coming and held task force meetings on how to handle "building equalization" — an issue several long wanted to address since late spring.

The problem is this: School districts with thriving businesses and expensive houses generally have more money to build schools. A bedroom community, on the other hand, must tax residents a whole lot more to generate enough money to pay for school buildings. Add enrollment growth to the mix, and money gets real tight.