Comments about ‘School districts still 'equalizing'’

Every time and every where (nation-wide and in Utah) year round has been tried the citizens abandon it as soon as politically possible. We've been looking at it for 30 years in Utah. It isn't the answer.

We keep trying to educate more students without paying for more buildings, and the worse thing we can do for the students, according to most of the research, is to make schools too big. Year round is one way of making schools too big.

Year round actually saves very little money. Let's do the right thing and build smaller schools, closer to the people. We'll save on transportation costs and have better education.

I'm afraid that year round school could burn out teachers more quickly. They might as well move to another state where they work less, have fewer students, get more respect from elected representatives, and still make more money. Also, many Utah school buildings are going to have to be retrofitted with air-conditioning units which is going to cost millions.

Stephenson has NO CLUE what he is doing.

Our teachers are already burning out faster than we can replace them and he wants to add to their work load?

It would be a disaster and the quality of teaching would drop dramatically.

Get this guy out of here before he drags the entire state into the gutter.

The more Howard messes with education the more mess he makes. Jordan district was doing just fine before Howard decided to split it. Now there are two district offices with more overhead than ever, taking more money out of the classroom.

Now, not only the East side of Jordan District (Canyon's District) is paying for new buildings on the West side, but the older areas in Granite and SLC are paying as well. If Utah would allow an impact fee for new dwellings, the new schools would be paid for without bonding or fund equalization.

Older areas in SLC and Granite have older buildings that need replaced, but their capital money will be shifted to fund new schools in the suburbs instead. Sounds like steal from the poor and give to the rich.

Howard's plan is redistribution of wealth, plain and simple. Now they want to take it state-wide?

The legislature's job is to fund needed programs like education. Since Howard got in, educational funding has decreased to lowest in the nation. It is time to work on funding and quit micro-managing.

Can voters in Draper see that Howard is out of control?

I have a novel idea. Just have those east side former Jordan District Knobs pay the equalization, and leave us in Granite School district alone. That way we can keep money in our own district. Granite has many old schools that need upgrades or rebuilds and we had to pass the first bond issue in many years to pay for it. They money going to equalization could have paid for that. My kid at Kearns Jr. freezes in the winter and is too hot in the spring and summer because parts of that school date back to just after World War II.

Since the people that started the Canyons District caused all of this, let them pay for it. Better yet, have the Cottonwood Heights, Sandy, Midvale, and Draper Mayors pay for this. They also helped cause it.

I'm sick and tired of my tax money paying for stupidity. Also I consider it to be "taxation without representation" since I'm not represented by anyone in Jordan District's School Board.

Anonymous is right. Sen. Stephenson has NO CLUE as to what he is doing! He is elected by the people in Draper to represent his own private interests. What does this say about the people who elect him? I think it was Lilly Eskelson who said it first, "Rebel without a clue!" My question is, "When will Draper get a little sense???"

Some school districts in Utah already have some year-round schools. Many school districts in many other states have year-round schools. How much more is there to "study" about the concept? How many times does the wheel need to be re-invented? Administrators should have enough to base decisions on with the current information.

Yes Canyons we know you have plenty of needs -- but now that you have divorced Jordan, you have plenty of money to do them -- much more than Jordan has.

The equalization legislation was never a good idea (even though I reside in Jordan District). It was only meant to fix the mess the legislature created by allowing the district to divide. The Canyons now has $1,000 more student than what Jordan is spending on my kids. At least the equalization will help us ... a little!

The legislature creates a law to split a district.

Realizing they messed up, they created a law to "equalize funding."

Realizing they don't like that, they will make a law to hold Jordan accountable for the unasked-for funding.

Law after law after law of creating problems. And this is only one example of the micromanaging mistakes that our legislative branch continues to make year after year after year.

I love living in downtown SLC with no children and yet I am forced to support my neighbor's children AND those who choose to make their home in the Jordan school district. Those people that are building new homes and want to live there should pay an impact fee to the school district. That way those who choose to live in that particular area are forced to pay for the impact of their children.

Oh yes, and wouldn't be awful to force teachers to work all year round? I work 12 months out of the year and I am certainly not "burned out". If they want more pay they should earn it.

I was (am still) opposed to the district split between Jordan and Canyons -- it was politically motivated by the Mayors of CH, etc.

I also remember when Jordan was the richest school district in Utah -- until politics/legislation allowed Kennecott Corp. to restructure, which changed its tax base (and a great loss to education).

As I grow older, I understand less and less of the machinations which run government and its programs. The US (and Utah) have created thousands of pages pertaining to laws which no one fully understands and I fear that eventually the whole system will implode because of the top-heaviness of Govt. and
bureaucrats full of personal agendas.

How about we take Stephenson's district and make it a part of another state or province. Just kick them to the curb for voting in such irritant.

The district division did not cause this problem. It merely revealed an already existing problem. We need to build enough schools to educate the children. Equalizing is not bad. The suburbs buy from and pay taxes to Salt Lake City. Equalizing returns a few of these dollars to where they came from.

Regardless it doesn't help this state to make it difficult to build sufficient schools to educate the children. Those who resist equalization, impact fees for schools, as well as the Howard Stephensons who resist funding the building of schools hurt children and Utah's future!

Isn't it ironic that our self righteous state legislature is opposed to all Washington D.C. mandated redistribution of wealth schemes but then allows it to happen in Utah, particularly in Salt Lake County with the unfair equalization (redistribution) process. I guess it will not be long before I have to subsidize all costs (transportation, open space loss, recreation, etc.)associated with suburban sprawl. If the state legislature wants to redistribute property tax generated education dollars then it should have the guts to implement it statewide.

Instead of Equalization allow JSD to KEEP the Kennicott money that goes to the other districts. The original offense was taking that tax base and dividing it to the other districts leaving JSD cash poor to begin with.

Stephenson DOES know what he is doing. Don't be misled. The guy has done a great deal to hamper public education and he knows that this is further hampering it. He wants to rid the state of socialism and the public education idea is purely socialistic.

As a former educator, I can state that Howard Stephenson has been (and will continue to be) a stumbling block to real education. He has a bee in his bonnet and won't let his dislike for teachers rest.
One SLC anonymous person complained about teachers not working 12 months of the year. They would work more if given the opportunity, but students get "burned out" too, and are not there during the summer. Thus, teachers attend workshops to improve their skills, take university classes, and many work a second job to make ends meet.
Public education has always been seen as a benefit to society, creating good citizens and an educated workforce, and is thus supported by the entire society, not just those with children. A society would have nothing without its educators.
When fascist groups want to contol the people, they inevitably tear down schools, kill the educated, and burn the books.

As a 10 year educator, I am all for year round schools. At least make it an option. It's time to rethink our educational system and move on from the system of the past. As radical as it may seem now, let's look into alternative solutions such as year round, trimesters, on-line options, etc. If it fails, so be it. But to do the same old thing over and over again and hope things get better is not the answer. This equalization law is NOT the answer.

Having moved back to Utah twice in my life I have found the Utah K-12 system a joke both times- first as a junior in the 80's moving here from Virginia- there I had to work for a 3.8 or so- here I never went to class took all the "hardest" classes they could offer at Weber High and had a 4.0 for two years and hardly ever showed up- just last year I moved my two daughters here from Ill. there they worked for a 4.0 but could maitain it- here no homework all AP courses and they have a 4.0 without trying- differences- yes funding matters but my expereince tells me it is about the values of the community- here plain and simple education has little value- from a religious persepctive it is talked about as valued but it is not- parents do not expect their children here to perform and so schools dumb it down and parents blame educators when their children fail and so the dumbing down continues- at least my kids can relax- without trying here they are seen as exceptional- how NICE!

I am choosing to become a teacher because of the fact that it is 9 months out of the year, and I am fine with the salary. Free time is priceless.

My wife taught year around school in another state. That didn't mean she was teaching more. It meant she taught a different schedule, some of which included weeks during the summer. She had the same amount of vacation, and the same amount of pay as a traditional 9 consecutive month teacher.

As opposed to many other teachers, we don't complain about the pay, because it really is a great deal, considering the time off you get. And we value the time we can spend with our kids way more than the extra three months of pay we would otherwise be getting.