Residents statewide could be paying higher property taxes to help children read.
At least 25 Utah school districts have approved or are examining tax increases to raise matching money for a $15 million state reading program. Six of those districts would lower other taxes to ease the pain.
But a few school bosses say they're already spending money to improve reading and that ought to be enough to get the state match.
That tactic has the blessing of the state schools chief and the lawmaker who ushered the reading program into law.
But some worry it sends the wrong message to the Legislature. Lawmakers envisioned the program as a 50-50 partnership and even created a new tax so all school districts could invest.
"The Legislature, in giving districts the opportunity to (raise taxes) and do it without a vote of the people, felt like they were providing the dollars that were needed for reading in our schools," said Gary Cameron, executive director of the Utah School Superintendents Association, which discussed potential political fallout in a Friday meeting.
"If there are districts that choose not to do that, I think from a political point of view, there's going to be concern that (lawmakers will say), 'Well, then, reading really isn't your top priority.' Legislators read strange things into certain reactions, and it's never easy to predict."
SB230, sponsored by Sen. James Evans, R-Rose Park, provides $15 million to help kids learn to read by third grade — the time kids stop learning to read and start reading to learn.
Last spring, 23 percent of Utah third-graders scored below proficient in reading on the state core curriculum test (CRT).
The bill, signed into law last March, is a pared-back pet project of Gov. Olene Walker. She wanted to give schools $30 million to nip reading problems in the bud and better prepare kids for higher academic expectations. Lawmakers said they didn't have the money. Heated political wrangling forged a compromise.
Everyone with a state-approved reading plan can get $29,300. The rest will be a 50-50, state-local investment.
"In a perfect world, we would have been able to fund this whole $30 million," Evans said. "But we wanted to have buy-in at the local school districts that this is something they wanted to do. Often, we hear complaints that we just throw money at a problem. But in this program, we're (encouraging) partnership and accountability."
School leaders applaud the idea of more money for reading, which several would spend on reading specialists. They can come up with their portion of the cash in one of three ways:
Use the new tax the Legislature authorized. The tax would not require a vote of the people, but it would be subject to an August truth-in-taxation hearing. It would cost about $6 in annual taxes on a $100,000 house.
Redirect local or federal money toward a reading program.
A combination of the two.
The Deseret Morning News asked representatives of Utah's 40 school districts about their plans; officials from all but three — Ogden, Rich and Wayne — returned phone messages Thursday and Friday.
Twenty-five have approved or are proposing that school boards raise the new tax, representatives said.
For some it's a painful prospect. The property tax is perhaps the most despised, as elderly and fixed-income homeowners are hit hard. Several school board members face re-election in November.
Some district officials, such as those in Beaver and Washington, are praying property values rise, which could help shoulder the burden.
"The Legislature's put us in a real bad spot," said Beaver District business administrator Laird Jenkins, whose board last week was undecided on its plans. "We could say, 'No, we're not going to go after the monies,' and not get them. But if our test scores fall behind . . . we're almost in a have-to situation."
Adding to the mix are mixed rates of return.
State reading money is based on poverty levels and property tax base.
Tiny Tintic would get $55,500 in state money for spending $3,500 — a return of $15 for every dollar locally spent, according to numbers Evans has distributed to Salt Lake area school boards. Piute, in a similar situation, could get more than $7 for every dollar spent.
"It was such a good deal we just couldn't pass it up," said Lewis Mullins, superintendent of Piute District, which will hike taxes.
But tax-rich Park City District must invest about $115,000 to pull down about $35,000 in state funds to help low-income kids, business administrator Von Hortin said. Still, the district plans to do it, through a $4 to $5 tax on a $100,000 house.
Some, however, say a new tax would be redundant.
Districts including Tooele, Morgan and Wasatch already spend local or federal dollars on reading programs. That investment counts as a match for the state money, interim State Superintendent of Public Instruction Patrick Ogden said.
"We've spent more than what the ($223,000) local effort requirement would be," Tooele District business administrator Bill Sampson said. "In this district, the last thing we want to do is raise that total levy for anything. Hopefully, we don't have to."
Evans supports letting districts choose how to come up with their portion.
"They should not be worried," Evans said. "In no way is it the intention of the Legislature to penalize those school districts who at this point cannot fully participate. It's an ongoing program, so they may opt in in a year or two. But it's a partnership, and the school districts must decide when they can participate."
"I think that if a district takes the state money and doesn't raise taxes, the Legislature will review that activity," said Burke Jolley, Jordan District deputy superintendent of business services. "I think their original intent was, we'll provide half the money and you generate your share to improve reading. If you do anything other than that, I think you're inviting additional scrutiny (from) the Legislature."
Conservative lawmakers have complained school leaders want them to raise taxes when they're not willing to do it themselves. In 2000, legislative leaders recommended more money for districts raising property taxes — an idea that died in the ensuing economic downturn.
Supporters of conservative causes such as tax credits for private school tuition also say the state throws money at schools without demanding results.
Overtones of both issues surface in the reading program's political compromise. It requires investment, with state support, and accountability: If tax-raising districts don't meet reading goals in three years, the tax gets axed.
Legislators undoubtedly will keep tabs on the program's results. And they could do the same with districts that raise the tax.
"When the Legislature looks at who may or may not raise the levy, they also need to examine circumstances the district finds itself in, and the relative tax burden those districts are currently imposing on their residents," Ogden said.
North Summit, for instance, is the only district the newspaper contacted that won't try to find matching funds. It just wants the $29,300 base money.
"We just passed a bond, so we're not going to go for the levy," Superintendent Steve Carlsen said. "Going to the people again just wouldn't be fair."
E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com