This is the August 31- September 13, 1996 update.
September 13, 1996
Contact Vicki Varela, 538-1503
or Paula Ernstrom, 538-1509
Listed below are the highlights of Governor Mike Leavitt's activities over
the past two weeks. Please call if you have any questions.
Announced that even after giving taxpayers a $140 million tax cut and record funding for
education and transportation the state closed the 1996 fiscal year with a $4.7 million
surplus. "These numbers reflect good budgeting and a solid economy. We are embarking
on an unprecedented transportation project, improving our schools, giving money back to
taxpayers and still ending the year with a modest surplus. Everything is on target in our
economy," Leavitt said. The preliminary $4.7 million surplus reflects a $1.1 million
surplus in the state's General Fund and a $3.6 million surplus in the state's Uniform
School Fund for the fiscal year which ended June 30. Final numbers will be available in
December. The state's $5.0 billion budget for fiscal year 1996 included a $465 million
appropriation for transportation and $1.7 billion in funding for public education including
$4 million directed at Highly Impacted Schools and $24 million for class size reduction.
Announced 10 Utah schools have been named as Modified Centennial Schools. "This
takes our Centennial Schools program another important step forward. It provides
maximum local control and flexibility to schools to help students reach their highest level
of performance," Leavitt said. The 10 schools are as follows:
Bountiful High School, Davis School District
Canyon Crest Elementary, Provo School District
Cook Elementary, Davis School District
Ferron Elementary Emery School District
Highland Elementary Alpine School District
Olympus Jr. High School Granite School District
Orem Jr. High School Alpine School District
Provo High School Provo School District
Snowcrest Jr. High School Weber School District
Westridge Elementary Provo School District
To qualify as a Modified Centennial School, the school must demonstrate widespread parental
and school staff support. It also must have completed or be in its third year as a Centennial
School. Each of the selected schools will have a team of directors that consist of an equal
number of school employees and parents or guardians of students attending that school.
Directors may request and receive waivers from the state or local board of education for any rule
or policy that prevents or inhibits the school from achieving its performance goals. This allows
the school autonomy to make local decisions for the students, faculty, staff and patrons of
schools regarding teacher employment, student performance, school calendars, budgeting
practices and faculty inservice. Governor Leavitt introduced Centennial Schools at the beginning
of his administration to increase parent involvement, local control and student performance. The
Modified Centennial School program will run at least three years and will then be evaluated to
determine the success of student performance goals.
Said that with all the challenges our state faces, education must continue to be one of the
highest priorities of government. Governor Leavitt addressed the Education Interim
Committee, a joint meeting of the State Board of Regents and the State Board of
Education. "Education is the key to a strong economy, good jobs and family stability,"
Leavitt said. Governor Leavitt went on to list the ten accomplishments in education that
have been made in education during the governor's term including class size reduction,
the Centennial Schools program, concurrent enrollment, test scores, and the highly
impacted school initiative. The governor also reviewed some of the accomplishments in
technology that benefit students. "By the end of next school year, all 735 schools in the
state will be connected to UtahLINK, our date network. We are the first state in the
country to have all our schools with high-speed, full-time connection to the Internet,"
Leavitt said. The governor ended his speech by outlining where his education focus will
be in a second term: competency based on what is known, not how or where it was
learned; technology integrated into all aspects of learning and life; students prepared for
the workforce, ensuring the safety of our schools; programs targeted where they are
needed most; and encouraging locally controlled schools.
Urged citizens to work together to make their communities, homes and schools safer.
Governor Leavitt participated in the Safe Homes, Schools and Communities tele-conference with citizens and community leaders from across the state. "The bottom line
in our efforts against drugs and violence is that the most important efforts will be those
we make together as concerned citizens. We must create an environment where are in
children feel safe walking to and from school, and where they will feel safe while they are
school," Leavitt said. "Working together, we can make a difference." Leavitt spoke to
groups gathered at EDNET sites across the state for the tele-conference. The conference
was organized by a consortium of public and private organizations.
Discussed the Rocky Mountain Regional Primary with other western states' leaders.
Governor Leavitt hosted a conference call to discuss how the states can work together to
further plans for a regional presidential primary by the year 2000. "This year, 70 percent
of the delegates were selected and the nomination was secured before most of the western
states held their primaries," Leavitt said. "If we work together and coordinate an early
primary in our states, it would give our states more say in presidential politics and draw
more national attention to the issues we face here in the West." Participants in the
conference call agreed to study the possibility of implementing legislation during the
1997 legislative sessions in their states.
Opened the Centennial Utah State Fair. "The fair is an important part of our state's
heritage," Governor Leavitt said. "It is an event that my family looks forward to every
year." Leavitt used an ax to cut a rope and officially open the fair. A week into the fair,
the governor also judged dozens of pies in the Governor's Pie Contest.
Welcomed Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole to Utah. Governor Leavitt
attended a rally held for Dole at the Salt Lake Airport and introduced him to the crowd.
Dole was visiting Utah to speak to the American Legion's national convention.
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