June 02, 2015(Salt Lake Tribune) - But Stephen Kroes, president of the Utah Foundation, said the last two decades have racked up corresponding drops in Utah’s education performance and the state’s funding “effort” — the proportion of personal income dedicated to public schools. In the mid-1990s, Kroes said, Utah ranked in the Top 10 for school funding efforts and the Top 15 for performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. But the state has dropped by both measures to the … Continued
May 01, 2015(Utah Planner) - What is the state of local roads in Utah? What would cities and counties like to see on their roads and what hurdles exist to achieving those goals? These are two of the questions that Utah Foundation decided to look at for our newest report, “The Roads Less Traveled: Survey Analysis and Research Regarding Local Roads in Utah.” This report features two pieces: a survey which was sent out to all Utah cities and counties, … Continued
May 21, 2015(Deseret News) - Millennials make up a proportion of Utah’s population that is second highest in the nation, and Utah is well ahead of the national curve of millennials becoming the largest living generation this year, according to a Utah Foundation report released Thursday. In other areas, Utah is mirroring national trends where millennials — ages 18 to 34 — are becoming increasingly diverse, having fewer children and identifying as religiously unaffiliated more frequently than previous generations, according … Continued
May 21, 2015(Utah Pulse) - Across the United States, the Millennial generation — those born from 1981 through the early years of the 21st Century — are just now surpassing the Baby Boom generation (born 1946-1964) as the largest population group. In Utah, Millennials have been the largest cohort since 1997. That’s not the only difference between generational groups in Utah and the rest of the nation. Utahns are more likely to be married, have children and to stay at … Continued
May 21, 2015(KUER) - Utah Millennials were 15 years ahead of the rest of the country in overtaking the number of baby boomers. That’s according to a Utah Foundation report released Thursday. Millennials are generally defined as being born in the early 1980’s to the early 2000’s. Nationally, they are expected to outnumber boomers this year. Mallory Bateman is a research analyst for the Utah Foundation. “I was personally surprised at how big our millennial population is and how … Continued
May 21, 2015(Salt Lake Tribune) - Planning was the buzzword at a state education committee meeting Wednesday. With a projected student population of 1 million looming 35 years from now, lawmakers were warned they had better start thinking about how to handle all of those kids. Former House Speaker Nolan Karras said Utah has failed to follow the example of business. A successful organization, said Karras, plans for the next five years and forecasts the next decade. But in Utah public … Continued
May 20, 2015(UtahPulse.com) - Macdonald cites the recent report of the Utah Foundation which concluded that “Utah’s tax burden is at its lowest level in 20 years.” The report further explained that the “net effect” of that change is “all of the burden of lowering taxes has come out of public education budgets. In fact, education funding effort has fallen more than the tax burden.” “The result of this devastating financial picture,” explained the new president, “is increased class … Continued
May 15, 2015(KSL.com) - However, some say a more comprehensive plan is needed to accommodate the number of students Utah is on track to gain. Last week, the Utah Foundation released a report calling on state leaders to continue developing a statewide education plan that looks forward to the year 2050. Utah’s K-12 schools are looking to gain about 385,000 students by that year, many of them going on to pursue a college degree at one of Utah’s colleges … Continued
May 13, 2015(Fox 13 News) - Quick quiz: Where does 82 percent of Utah’s water go? Answer: Farms and ranches. It’s a fact that could easily escape the notice of Utahns because the public conversation about conservation focuses so much on home landscaping. But a simple percentage doesn’t tell the story, says Sterling Brown, who is the Vice President of Public Policy with the Utah Farm Bureau Federation. “Utah production agriculture diverts 82 percent of the water but only uses approximately … Continued
May 11, 2015(KSL-TV) - Half of the people killed in vehicle crashes on Utah highways are not buckled in. State surveys show 83 percent of Utahns buckle up. A recent report by the Utah Foundation forecasts a 10 percent rise in compliance with the new law, which 33 other states already enforce. The students said a friend was recently injured in a bad crash. “If he didn’t have his seat belt, he probably wouldn’t be doing as good as … Continued
May 07, 2015(UtahPolicy.com) - Just over 30 percent of Utah’s population is under the age of 18, with more than 600,000 students in the state’s public schools. That population is expected to grow 64 percent by 2050, when Utah will have almost a million students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Higher education will experience similarly robust growth. Yet Utah has no long-term, comprehensive, statewide plan for public and higher education in spite of recommendations from civic groups such as … Continued
May 09, 2015(Daily Herald) - In the fourth-fastest growing county in the state, new estimates anticipate that Utah County will see an increase of more than 120,000 kindergarten through 12th grade students between 2010 and 2050 — the largest anticipated increase of any county in the state. And that’s not all. The Utah System of Higher Education anticipates there will be an additional 50,000 college and university students by 2023, which represents a 28 percent increase. “Utah Valley University is … Continued
May 08, 2015(KUER) - A new report from Utah Foundation says the state needs a long-range education plan to prepare for population growth. The report highlights tax policies Utah has implemented over the past 20 years that it says have chipped away at the state’s education funding effort. And it proposes the state create a 10-year-plan to help pre-empt such policies in the future. Shawn Teigen is the research director at Utah Foundation. On the bright side, he says … Continued
May 08, 2015(Deseret News) - Utah is expected to gain about 385,000 K-12 students by 2050, but state leaders are past due in planning and preparing for future growth while ensuring adequate school funding and satisfactory student performance. That’s the message from a Utah Foundation report released Thursday that takes a look at what education in the state could be like given the growth and increasing ethnic diversity over the next 35 years. State leaders and educators are in the … Continued
May 07, 2015(KUTV) - Utah needs a plan for education and desperately needs to put more money into it, according to a new report from Utah Foundation. The nonprofit, non-partisan group says the state’s population is expected to double by 2050, but Utah’s education funding is lacking. In order to improve, the report says the state needs to find revenue including, perhaps, by raising taxes. But as the report acknowledges, that could be a tough sell here in Utah. … Continued
May 07, 2015(KSL-TV) - A new study shows Utah isn’t doing enough to prepare for what is coming in education. The Utah Foundation estimates in the next 35 years, the student population will increase 65 percent and enrollment will exceed one million students in grades K-12. Most of those students will come from Utah County. But Utah has no long-term plan to deal with growth or the diverse ethnic populations included in those numbers. The study also showed concerning … Continued
May 04, 2015(KUER-FM) - KUER News Director Terry Gildea and reporter/producer Judy Fahys talk with host Doug Fabrizio about KUER’s reporting on the water issue and KUED’s TV documentary on the same subject. Utah Foundation’s study Flowing Toward 2050: Utah’s Water Outlook is cited in the conversation.
May 07, 2015(Deseret News) - The audit also notes that unreliable figures are being used to project future water usage in Utah, which could lead to unnecessary costs. All of this should serve as a cold splash to the face. As yearly snowpack diminishes and the population grows, Utah can’t afford to get this one wrong. Or, as Utah Foundation research analyst Mallory Bateman told me, “The lesson from California is that it kind of takes something catastrophic in order … Continued
May 01, 2015(Salt Lake Tribune) - The Utah Foundation released a report back in September that noted the state is the second driest in the nation and has the second highest per-capita water use. It called for local governments to boost water bills, in part to encourage people to conserve. Nothing has happened on that front. But with a dry winter some are worried about the state’s water supply. Salt Lake City has issued a water-shortage advisory, the first step toward … Continued
April 16, 2015(Salt Lake Tribune) - Despite this week’s spring snowfall, state and local officials are bracing for drought and encouraging conservation. Salt Lake City public utilities director Jeff Niermeyer, Rep. Tim Hawkes and Mallory Bateman of the Utah Foundation join Jennifer Napier-Pearce [to] talk about the state’s low water supply and how water shortages could affect residents, farmers and the economy.
April 03, 2015(KUER) - Many Utahns might be wondering what the latest round of statewide tax increases will mean for their wallets. The Utah Foundation says not all that much. New analysis shows Utah’s ranking among states with the highest tax burden will slip in 2017 as a result of property tax and motor fuel tax increases approved this legislative session.
April 01, 2015(Deseret News) - When it comes to traffic safety, Utah has optimal laws on impaired driving and seat belt enforcement, a new research report from Utah Foundation concludes. But it also found Utah still has some work to do when it comes to distracted driving and cellphone use behind the wheel. The report is titled Utah in the Fast Lane: An Analysis of Driving and Traffic Safety. Among the findings: Utah seat belt laws will be among the … Continued
March 31, 2015(KSL Newsradio) - Praise for the new primary seat belt law in Utah, hoping that when it starts in May, we’ll see more people using seat belts and fewer people dying.
March 31, 2015(KUTV) - A new non-partisan study was released Tuesday that focuses on driving safety in Utah. While we’ve made strides towards safety in some areas, there are others that are getting worse and costing lives. Drunk driving is down, but use of cell phones while driving is up. Both are equally dangerous and yet they’re not given equal weight and consideration. With new cell phone laws people have started to change their habits using hands free devices … Continued
March 31, 2015(KSL-TV) - A Utah Foundation report released today shows the state has made strides in seat belt use and drunken driving. But there is still work to do on distracted driving and cellphone use behind the wheel. The report is titled, “Utah in the Fast Lane: An Analysis of Driving and Traffic Safety.” Among the findings: Utah will have among the strongest seat belt laws in the nation May 12. That’s when an officer can pull a … Continued
