September 08, 2019(Standard Examiner) - The Utah Foundation recently released a study titled “Making the Grade? K-12 Outcomes and Spending in Utah” that tries to make sense of why Utah, which spends less on K-12 education than any other state (at $7,179 per pupil, $5,000 below the national average), still does well in most areas measured and even outperforms many higher spending states. Although Utah lawmakers and other state leaders may congratulate themselves on these academic outcomes at bargain basement … Continued
September 05, 2019(UtahPolicy.com) - Utah Foundation releases Drop by Drop: Water Costs and Conservation in Utah. In this second installment of Utah Foundation’s new Paying for Water Series, the property tax versus water rate debate is examined from the standpoint of conservation. Specifically, the report outlines how water pricing can encourage conservation. It details the current effects of water rates and property taxes on water use. It then explores conservation in terms of fixed fees and variable rates. Lastly, … Continued
September 05, 2019(UtahPolicy.com) - During the Task Force “study phase” I anticipate considerable discussion around the constitutional guarantee that all Utah income tax goes to fund education. This is a promise forged in our Utah State Constitution to ensure our state has an educated population and our public schools are funded in perpetuity. A 1996 Constitution change permitted the income tax to be used for higher education in addition to K-12 public ed. What was once a small percentage … Continued
September 04, 2019(Daily Herald) - When women are elected to political positions in a state legislature, more attention and money tend to be given toward efforts directed at poverty, sexual assault, domestic violence, education and healthcare. “There really is a connection, not just in Utah, but nationally and globally to those topics being addressed more often and money being given to those when there’s women,” Madsen said. A 2016 survey by the Utah Foundation showed that women in Utah are … Continued
August 27, 2019(Standard-Examiner) - The Ogden City Council will soon hold a series of public meetings designed to help residents learn about and sound off on a topic of growing concern: housing. From Sept. 3 through Oct. 1, the council will host four fact-finding discussions on housing — each taking place at 7 p.m. at the Ogden Municipal Building, 2549 Washington Blvd. The first meeting, on Sept. 3, will feature a look at national and local trends and what … Continued
August 27, 2019(Utah Public Radio) - Utah spends less money per pupil than any other state in the country. “And we’re always last, so what’s the point of talking about that all the time?” This is Shawn Teigen. He works with the Utah Foundation, a non-profit organization that does research on government organizations. They recently released a report on how Utah schools compare to other schools across the country.
August 27, 2019(UtahPolicy.com) - Given Utah’s position as both one of the driest and one of the fastest-growing states, getting water management right is critical. Among the most basic – and contentious – components of water management is how we pay for water, with property taxes versus user fees at the heart of the debate. Utah Foundation’s new Paying for Water Series will examine the key areas of concern related to this debate, including conservation, fairness and practical considerations. … Continued
August 28, 2019(KVNU) - A new series of reports published by the Utah Foundation, detail how Utahns are paying for water in an arid state. The report shows that there at least 308 public water suppliers in Utah and the fact that the population is expected to double over the next 40 years, the managing of this vital resource becomes even more important. On KVNU’s For the People program on Wednesday, Peter Reichard of the Utah Foundation talked about … Continued
August 27, 2019(KTVX) - How we pay for our water in Utah has long been the center of a heated debate. It’s one of our most precious resources, but it’s not always treated that way. “Every Utahn sees their neighbors watering in rainstorms, watering sidewalks, streets and gutters. We need to stop that practice,” said Zach Frankel with the Utah Rivers Council. Frankel says the problem is the way water is paid for in our state. A new study … Continued
August 25, 2019(KSL-TV) - This week on Sunday Edition, education funding in Utah is low -– but is it doing enough? We look at the numbers from a new Utah Foundation study. (Note: Interview segment begins at 10:42 into the program.)
August 26, 2019(Deseret News) - When the question of K-12 spending comes up in public policy circles, someone is bound to mention: “We spend the least per student in the nation.” Though ranking last may induce shame, the real issue is not how much we spend on schools. Rather, it’s how well the schools perform. Utah Foundation launched a series of reports on K-12 spending nearly two years ago, exploring issues ranging from funding for students at risk of academic … Continued
August 25, 2019(Deseret News) - In addition to my experience in running economic development for the state, I have been involved in and committed to education throughout my life. There have been numerous disparate education studies and plans, including many that measure Utah’s current education status and achievement in a variety of ways. A couple of conclusions jump out at me: First, numerous people and organizations have done incredible work researching and analyzing education as well as developing and executing … Continued
August 21, 2019(KNRS) - Rod Arquette Show Daily Rundown – Tuesday, August 20, 2019 4:20 pm: Peter Reichard, President of the Utah Foundation, joins the show for a conversation about a new study showing the outcomes of education spending in the state. (Note: Interview begins at 14:35 into the program.)
August 21, 2019(UtahPolicy.com) - Utah may spend less per student in its public schools than any other state, but Utah students are doing as well or better than comparable states on a range of measures of educational outcomes. A new study from Utah Foundation, Making the Grade? K-12 Outcomes and Spending in Utah, compares the performance of students here with neighboring states in the Mountain West and with several peer states selected for their similarity to Utah’s population demographics. … Continued
August 22, 2019(Deseret News) - If you have problems with vertigo, you probably shouldn’t involve yourself with trying to assess public school performance in Utah. It doesn’t take long for otherwise healthy people to get dizzy. The latest report from the nonpartisan, nonprofit, just-the-facts Utah Foundation does an admirable job trying to make sense of any relationship between spending and outcomes in Utah’s public education. That’s an age-old question. Trust me on this one. About 20 years ago, while serving … Continued
August 20, 2019(KSL Newsradio) - A new report says Utah is still spending a lot less per student than many other states. But the report also says Utah students are out-performing those other states. The report released by the Utah Foundation says Utah is spending half than what some states are on their students at $7,179 per student in 2017, which is the latest data researchers used. The national median was $11,554 and Wyoming was spending $16,537 per pupil. But … Continued
August 20, 2019(Deseret News) - Utah spends less – and in most cases far less – per student than surrounding states and its peer states, yet performs “respectably overall in terms of outcomes,” according to a new Utah Foundation report. States that spend the most on K-12 education outperform other states but “it is impossible to draw a straight line between higher spending and better outcomes,” the report says. “Utah itself proves this point: The Beehive State fares better on … Continued
July 28, 2019(KSL.com) - A 2018 study from the Utah Foundation found that 14 of Utah’s 26 jails had substance abuse programs in place. The Weber County jail is one of them — it offers substance abuse treatment and a range of other in-house services, including mental health counseling, vocational rehabilitation, Alcoholics Anonymous programming and parenting classes. One of the challenges of offering such programming within county jails, however, is that people don’t tend to stay there very long. … Continued
July 14, 2019(Salt Lake Tribune) - It has been said that John F. Kennedy’s 1961 inaugural address inspired a generation to consider public service. But for those going into public service today, Kennedy’s words might be rephrased: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country — and be sure to ask about the pension benefits.” That’s because, in the decades since Kennedy, the public and private sectors in the U.S. have taken … Continued
June 25, 2019(Vice.com) - Their hypothesis began to trickle into the mainstream after the 2011 paper. When the Utah Foundation, an independent research group, released a report in 2018 on the “startling” rise in suicides, it included a mention of Renshaw’s findings—that the counties with the highest rates are ones with higher elevations. The Montana Department of Public Health began to note the altitude of each suicide in their state, California Sunday reported, and found that suicides took place … Continued
June 13, 2019(KNRS) - Utah Foundation President Peter Reichard talks with Rod Arquette on KNRS about concerns regarding growth in Utah and the new Utah Foundation study Building a Better Beehive: Land Use Decision Making, Fiscal Sustainability and Quality of Life in Utah. (Note: Program segment begins at 70 minutes 22 seconds into the podcast recording.)
June 15, 2019(KUTV) - According to Utah Foundation, the report aims to further flesh out the compensation picture by diving into teacher retirement in the state of Utah. The report also makes comparisons between Utah and the other Mountain States, which show differences in generosity and other features. When regarding pay, Utah Foundation’s report revealed that teachers do tend to make less than people in the private sector, while teacher retirement benefits tend to be more generous. This compensation … Continued
June 13, 2019(KTVX) - The Utah Foundation released a report Thursday on teacher retirement plans in Utah and found that, when compared with neighboring states, Utah has one of the most generous plans — but prospective teachers have no idea. Shawn Teigen is the lead researcher on the report and said that teachers have a “great” governmental benefit, but prospective teachers simply don’t know about it and may, therefore, choose another profession. He said Utah plans, “Allow people to … Continued
June 12, 2019(Deseret News) - This state’s powerhouse economic growth has made it the envy of other states and is one of the key features of life in today’s Utah. But with that growth comes challenges and a constant stream of pivotal development decisions. It puts land use decision-making at center stage in the theater of public policy. Utah Foundation addresses the importance of development decisions in a new report, Building a Better Beehive: Land Use Decision Making, Fiscal Sustainability … Continued
June 09, 2019(UtahPolicy.com) - Utah Foundation’s newest report explores the fiscal challenges that accompany growth, both in the short-term and in the long-term. The report also draws from Utah Foundation’s 2018 Quality of Life survey to demonstrate what Utahns value most in their communities, and which issues concern them most. Building from the fiscal challenges and quality of life concerns, the report identifies five strategic categories to confront the challenges of growth: Promoting efficient land use. Expanding transportation options. … Continued
