In the past 14 years, the state has spent $704.6 million to reduce class size in public schools. Now, the Legislature wants to know if that money has been well spent.

Lawmakers recently authorized an audit to determine what has been done with the money allocated for class-size reduction. The auditors will issue their findings in the fall.

State Superintendent of Schools Patti Harrington welcomes the audit, and so should everyone else. When we're talking about a substantial investment in the public education system -- about $50 million a year on average -- it is essential that we follow through.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, the national average is one teacher for every 15.8 students. There is wide local variation as a result of local factors -- urban vs. rural schools or high schools vs. elementaries, for example. But the average at least provides an apples-to-apples yardstick for comparing states and school districts in aggregate terms.

Utah's average in 2006 was 22.4 students per teacher. Alpine and Nebo districts exceed that, with 24.8 and 24 respectively, while Provo School District averaged 20.9. Such numbers are approximately parallel to Utah's higher average household size when compared to the rest of the nation.

It's no secret that students do better in smaller classrooms, especially in the lower grades. Even the tightest fiscal conservative acknowledges that excessive class size hurts education. This is one reason home schoolers are so successful.

High student density saves money in terms of teachers and buildings. But if students come out poorly educated, big classes can't be counted as savings at all. They are a loss.

Utah's average class size has fluctuated slightly, from 25 in 1995 down to about 22 in 2001, then back to 24 in 2003, then back down to the current level. The fluctuation makes us curious about the class-size reduction money. With the governor now calling for further efforts to reduce class sizes in the lower grades, it's even more important to know what has been done with what has been allocated for that purpose in the past.

Was it squanderedfi Nobody knows for sure. There has been some suggestion that school districts have used the funds for things other than what it was intended for. If true, that is an abuse of trust.

Rapid growth in Utah could fuel a new problem. Student population may overwhelm class-size reduction efforts, and classes will grow anyway.

So it's a good time for an audit, which should answer such questions. Those school districts that have fulfilled their state mandate and used the money properly -- hiring more teachers, for example -- will be vindicated. Others may find their fannies on a griddle and have to explain themselves to the public.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A5.