Utah schools will lose far less School Land Trust Program money than they expected.

Schools had expected a 24 percent cut from last year, but instead they'll only face about a 10 percent drop.

Schools statewide will get about $24 million in School Land Trust Program money for the coming school year. That's about $4 million more than anticipated based on October projections.

The money consists of dividends and interest earned on the permanent State School Fund, a $781 million pot of money generated from trust lands throughout the state.

Schools get anywhere from a few thousand dollars to nearly $100,000 each, depending mostly on enrollment.

— Associated Press