It’s well known that Utah falls way short in per-pupil spending for public schools.
Utah remains last in the nation in that student spending metric – even though Utah lawmakers have over the last few years pumped more than a $1 billion into education budgets.
But now a new study by the Utah Foundation, a nonprofit think tank, finds that the state also is falling short in spending on at-risk students, those who come from poor families, are trying to learn English, or have disabilities.
Utah Foundation President Peter Richard says: “Ultimately, funding adequacy can’t be pegged to a set formula.
“But based on various benchmarks, it appears that funding for Utah students at risk of academic failure deserves a closer look, especially when it comes to English learners and low-income students.”
