The primary reason for Utah being last in terms of per pupil spending is the high ratio of children to adults. Utah is among the top states in terms of percentage of the state budget allocated to public education, but by the time that amount is allocated to students, the per pupil amount is not very high. Higher taxes are probably not the solution, because taxes in Utah are already fairly high and also because tax increases are thought to have an adverse effect on economic growth and development.
FD Farnsworth, Jr., Professor
History/Political Science
