Trust Lands

Welcome to the Trust Lands Commission page where you will find resources and information to help you become more informed and involved with school trust lands and school community councils.

 

Commissioner
Natalie Gordon

(801)261-3100

What are Trust Lands & Community Councils?

Trust Lands

"School Trusts Lands were granted by the United States to each state joining the union beginning with Ohio 1803 through Alaska in 1959. These lands were granted in trust for the support of public education. Initially, each state received one square mile in each six square mile township. As western states were added, the grants expanded to two sections per township. When Utah, Arizona and New Mexico entered the union they were granted
four sections per township." Click here to read more.

DOWNLOADS:
> What are School Trust Lands?
> What are Community Councils?
> How can PTA support Trust Lands & Community Councils?
> Utah PTA Resolution on School Trust Land
>National PTA Resolution on School Trust Land
> Utah PTA Trust Land Handbook

LINKS:
> School LAND Trust Program
> Community Council Training
> CLASS (Children's Land Alliance Supporting Schools)
> Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration

Community Councils

"The Utah State Legislature passed a law in 2000 requiring every public school in the state to establish a School Community Council at the school-site level (Utah Code. Section 53A-1a-108). Two years later the legislature passed a second bill mandating several changes in the duties, powers and membership of the School Community Councils in Utah. This law took effect July 1, 2002." Click here to read more.

In accordance with state law, “Each public school, in consultation with its local school board, shall establish a school community council at the school building level.”

Duties of the Community Council include the following:

  • Develop a School Improvement Plan
  • Develop a School LAND Trust Program
  • Assist in the development and implementation of a Staff Development Plan
  • Develop a Child Access Routing Plan (elementary level only)
  • Advise and make recommendations to school and District administrators and to the
    School Board when appropriate
  • Develop a Reading Achievement Plan (elementary level only)
  • Create subcommittees and task forces as needed

Goals of the Trust Land Commission

The goals of the Utah PTA Trust Lands Commission are to:

1. Educate Utahns on the importance of school trust lands, the School LAND Trust program, and on the role of trust lands in education funding.

2. Educate parents, community councils and PTA members on the role and function of community councils, the role of PTA in community councils, and the importance of PTA involvement with community councils.

3. Advocate for PTA and trust land/community council issues with the Utah legislature, the state executive office (governor, attorney general, state treasurer), state and local school boards, the School and Institutional Trust Land Administration, and other local, state and federal policy makers.

4. Coordinate efforts to influence federal actions, policies and legislation that affect Utah trust lands.
In fiscal year 2005, the School LAND Trust Program distributed almost 14 million dollars to the public schools in the state. This document , prepared by the State Office of Education for the Utah State Legislature, shows how the money was spent, and how the fund has grown in the past years. This is a great summary, and would be good to bring with you when discussing Trust Land issues with policy makers.

DOWNLOADS:
>School LAND Trust Program--2005 Fiscal Year Report
 

 
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