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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- A majority of Utah residents responding to a new survey said it's a good idea to create smaller school districts and give local residents more say over public education.
In a Dan Jones & Associates survey of 900 registered voters statewide, 54 percent said they strongly or somewhat favor a new state law allowing cities to break up existing school districts.
Of those respondents, 59 percent said they would still favor the concept even if it means more property taxes.
Thirty-one percent strongly or somewhat opposed the measure. Another 15 percent didn't know.
Residents offered a similar response for giving cities more local control over school districts, with 53 percent wanting more local control, 21 percent feeling it should remain the same and 18 percent saying there should be less local control. Nine percent didn't know.
The statewide survey was conducted July 14-20 for the Deseret Morning News and KSL. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
Recent legislation allowed cities to split from large school districts and create their own locally controlled small school districts.
The idea is being explored in several communities, including Cottonwood Heights, Holladay, South Salt Lake, Sandy, Lindon and Orem.
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Information from: Deseret Morning News, http://www.deseretnews.com
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
