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Show EDUCATION rorF.8 Legisla tive action in the area of educational finances and programs concern many citizen s. Citizen s do not seem to realized that many decision s regarding education are made at the ballot box at the primary or general election . The Jordan School Distric t-is sponsoring a meeting, "What Does It Take for Quality Education?" for all Salt Lake C.ounty legislat ive candidates and distric t delegates to the party conventions as well as the public on May 21 at 7 PM at Mount Jordan Intermediate School, 9360 South 400 East in Sandy. The meeting will feature a panel discussion an.d an opportWlity for citizens to meet with candidates and delegates by distric ts. The Jordan distric t parent conniittee on gifted education, organizers of the meeting, views the meeting as an opportW1ity for voters to determine candida tes' position s on educational issues. Action in the last days of the 1986 Utah Legisla ture is at odds· with the Utah value of self-suf ficiency . In an effort to cut the education appropriation to balance the budget, the Public Filucation appropriation comnittee cut the adult education budget from the requested $3.42 million to $1.52 million , a 43% cut in funds. Curre~tl 22,000 student s are enroled in programs such as adult basic education, adult refugee English-as-a-second language and adult high school-completion. In addition , Utah may lose an addition al $580,000 in federal adult basic education fWlds because receipt of this money is contingent on a state appropr iation equivalent to that of the previous year. As a meroo £ran the su~rint endents of the' salt Lake City, Granite , ~den, Murray and Jordan School distric ts urging the caranittee to restore these cuts in the closing days of the Legisla ture points out, this reduction "will have a tragic effect on the lives of thousands of Utahans who are charact erized by coot>inations of the follooin g: lCM income, single parent responsment or poor job placement, ibility , minimal. skills, unemploy 1 minor'ity or refugee status. ' The superintendents recomnended taking the funds away from the product hrity study, outcome based education and year-around schools planning categor ies which had been increased nearly $1 million by comn.ittee action as well a.s restorin g the .9 mill levy for schools cut by the 1985 Legisla ture. Many feel that the Legisla tors did not really understand the· effects of this cutt' They are urging that the Legisla ture put the restorat ion of funds on the ag~. nda for the special session to be scheduled in April or May.., Please call your legislat or to ask that this important topic be plac€-d on the SJ:?eCial session agenda. The Utah Education Seminar will discuss state J:X)licies for improving teacher quality on Thursday, April 24 at noon in the Panarana Roan in the University of Utah student Union. For reserva tions, call 581-6714. SALT LAKE VOTE.R _- 16 - MAY 1986 |
