Trust Lands were a gift given to the State of Utah many, many years ago. There are hundreds of acres of land that Trust Lands manage.
They generate money for public schools through evolving and strategic land management.
Dr. Cade Douglas has been an educator for more than 25 years and is the Superintendent of the Sevier School District.
He joined us with how Trust Lands works in his district and how parents can get involved.
Dr. Douglas explained that Trust Lands funding does not come from taxpayer dollars.
When he first started teaching in 1999, his school received $11.50 per student per year. That means the entire school got around $5,000.
Fast forward to today and each student in that same school receives $175, or about $75,000 to the school.
The schools can decide how to spend that money. Dr. Douglas explained that if a child is struggling in math or reading, they can beef up those subjects.
The funding can also be used to help springboard a child into a future career. There are even courses on things like chess and yoga that are paid for bu Trust Funds.
Dr. Douglas says every school has a Community Council, voted in by parents. So, parents of the school are the ones making the decisions on how those Trust Land dollars are spent.
His best advice, get involved with that Community Council. You can find information on your school's website.
You can also go to trustlands.utah.gov to learn more.
