How School Funding Works

As the state’s single largest tax expenditure, it’s critical that Utah citizens have a basic knowledge of how K-12 education funding works in Utah.

In the 2006-07 school year (the most recent year for which actual spending figures are available), over 90% of the funding for Utah’s K-12 public education system came from state and local sources.  In fact, 56% of property taxes went directly to local school districts in 2007, and 100% of both individual and corporate state income taxes must be spent on K-12 and higher education as mandated by the Utah State Constitution.  About 9% of the funding came from the Federal government.

How most of the funding is distributed to the public school system is determined by by the Utah State Legislature and the Governor who signs bills into laws.

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Per Student Spending = $8,224

In the 2007-08 school year (the most recent school year for which actual spending figures are available), Utah spent $8,224 per public school student.  As the graph below shows, the amount that Utah spends per student each school year has consistently increased over the decades. Since 1970, per student spending has increased 111% (more than double) even after adjusting for inflation.

Utah Per Student Spending, 1960 - 2008
Utah Taxpayers Association¹

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Total K-12 Budget = $4.42 billion

In the 2007-08 school year (the most recent school year for which actual spending figures are available), Utah spent $4.42 billion on K-12 education.  This amounts to $8,224 per public school student.  As the graph below shows, the amount that Utah spends on K-12 education has consistently increased over the decades due to an increasing student population and increased spending per student.

Utah's Total K-12 Budget, 1970 - 2008
Utah Taxpayers Association¹

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Where it comes from / Your Taxes

Almost all of the funding for Utah's K-12 education system comes from state and local taxes.  In fact, 100% of state income taxes must go towards K-12 and higher education.  And 56% of property taxes on average went towards K-12 education in 2007 (The percent varies from city to city).

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Where It Goes

In the 2006-07 school year, 52% of the $3.67 billion spent on K-12 education went towards instruction, which includes teaching supplies, classroom materials, and salaries and benefits of teachers, substitutes, and aides.

 How Education Funding is Spent, 2006-07
Utah Taxpayers Association¹

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School Employee Salaries

Average Teacher
Compensation = $60,474

In the 2006-07 school year, the average compensation for a Utah public school teacher was $60,474, with an average salary of $41,086 and $19,388 in benefits.

 

Breakdown of Utah's Average Teacher Compensation, 2006-07
Utah State Office of Education, School Finance & Statistics¹

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