OGDEN -- Thursday was a busy day at Polk Elementary School. School starts early for some sixth-graders in a school band. Others spend an hour of their day with an art specialist, while about 200 others participate in the school's science fair. These varied activities are funded with money from the school land trust allocated to a special group called the community council.
But Polk isn't unique in its activities; all schools in the state get money for academic needs as Polk does, through the community council.
Last year, the state Office of Education allocated nearly $21 million to all schools based on a per-pupil spending model. That allocation is disbursed to school districts that in turn pass the money to each school's community council.
Community councils are made up of parents, administrators, school staff and community members who have a vested interest in the school, said Donna Corby, who oversees community councils in the Ogden School District.
The community council always has to have more parents or community members than school staff, Corby said. The president of the council is always a parent.
The principal sits on the council, but all decisions are voted on, and a principal cannot change those decisions arbitrarily, said Polk Principal Steve Merkley.
The school land trust was established in 1992 when the state made a bilateral compact with the federal government for money from federal land in lieu of taxes, said Paula Plant, school lands trust specialist for the state Office of Education.
In 2001, the Legislature set up the community council program, she said.
The money allocated to schools comes from interest earned from the trust each year. The amount fluctuates based on interest rates, Plant said.
Each year, proposals are made to spend the money in different ways, but the money has to be spent on education.
Parent Lori East has served on community councils at the elementary, junior high and high school levels. This is her seventh year being involved in what she said she believes is an invaluable resource.
"You can have a big say in what goes on in schools with the land trust money. You see what the school needs," East said.
She said she likes that parents get to look at the inner workings of the school, because parents have a vested interest and want what's best for the students.
She has seen money devoted to such items as smart boards and technology, as well as to hiring additional teacher aides and supporting elementary school reading clubs.
Shirley Atkinson is the supervisor for elementary education in Weber School District. She likes the community council concept.
"Parents are naturally supportive, and it gives us a balance," she said.
One thing Atkinson has seen to be effective is having the funds pay for specialists who work with students in small learning communities.
"They get that individual attention that is so badly needed," she said of students.
Salaries are one of the top uses in Ogden School District as well.
Both Atkinson and Corby said the reach of community councils goes beyond just spending land trust funds. They must also come up with a plan for school improvement and for a safe route to school.
"They spend a lot of time looking at data of how students are performing, and then they decide on what those highest academic needs are," Corby said.
The councils must spend the money on the highest academic needs in the school. The council establishes those needs and then applies the money where it needs to go. Once the plan and budget are created, school boards approve the plans, Corby said.
East wants to see that money stay in the schools at a local level. She knows the money may sound like a lot, but there are many needs.
"It is amazing to me -- lawmakers cut it down, and the schools need it so bad," she said.
Merkley said he can walk through his school and see something in every corner that has been purchased with land trust money. Classroom libraries, math clubs and science fair boards so all students can participate are just a few of the things enjoyed by students on a daily basis.
"I love that we can bring a bunch of individuals together and come out with a common goal. When you lay it all on the table, you see that this is for the kids," the Polk Elementary principal said.
Plant said most legislators are in favor of the community council model, but need to be reminded of how much they are appreciated in the community.
"There are many advocates (in the Legislature), but there are still proposals for change."
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