Education

State Journal

November 25, 1987 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Abuzz over school aid in the Beehive State

Just as a feud over state aid to schools has entered an uneasy truce in California, another has erupted in Utah.

At a recent public hearing in Salt Lake City, Gov. Norman Bangerter and Superintendent of Public Instruction James Moss traded barbs over the state board of education’s request for an additional $80 million in education spending for the upcoming fiscal year.

Calling the request “unrealistic,” Governor Bangerter said he would propose an increase of between $15 million and $18 million. “You’re going to have to find a way” to cut the board’s request, he told the superintendent during the Nov. 4 hearing. “That’s just the facts of life.”

“Tell that to the school children who are trying to share a textbook with six people,” countered Mr. Moss.

After the hearing, the Governor’s aides distributed documents to those in attendance indicating how aid to other state agencies would have to be reduced to accommodate the state school board’s request.

That move prompted the superintendent to send letters to all state department heads denying that he and the board had ever suggested cutting into their slices of the budget pie.

“Had I been aware of the distribution of that information, I would have refuted it immediately and I regret that I was not given the opportunity to do so,” he wrote.

In subsequent interviews with the local media, Mr. Moss suggested that the Governor was using the education-spending dispute as a ploy to help him win re-election next year.

“I think the schoolchildren in this state deserve better than they got in the hearing,” the school chief said. “Our job is to think about the next generation--not the next election. Obviously, everything the Governor does at this point has a political agenda behind it.”

Meanwhile, a state representative has announced that he will introduce a proposed constitutional amendment next year that would abolish the state board and provide for gubernatorial appointment of the state superintendent’s post. Utah voters now elect the board’s members, who in turn appoint the superintendent.

Referring to the vituperative debate between the Governor and superintendent, Representative Rob W. Bishop said of his proposed bill, “You wouldn’t see the the adversial relationship of last week.”

“Many superintendents I’ve talked to want to see control vested in local boards and the legislature,” Mr. Bishop added.

--tm

A version of this article appeared in the November 25, 1987 edition of Education Week as State Journal

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: March 13, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: February 21, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: February 7, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: January 31, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read