Davis County voters will probably be going to the polls next May to decide whether or not to approve a $35 million bond issue for a new high school in the Layton-Clearfield area.
Meeting Tuesday night, the Davis School Board plotted a course that includes a public relations blitz beginning in February and a public vote on May 15 to increase the district's bonding limit. Funds under the present limit have been exhausted.The proposed sale of bonds would cover the cost of a new high school, three junior high school additions, air conditioning retrofits for year-round schools, more portable classrooms and school renovations.
"There is just not any other alternative," Louenda Downs, board vice president and representative of the high-growth Layton area.
Since 1978 student enrollment in Davis schools has increased by 70 percent to 53,000. By 1996, enrollment is projected to be 64,000. Since August 1978 the district has constructed 11 new elementary and three new junior high schools. They have also constructed additions to 25 elementaries and six junior high schools.
The construction was funded primarily by three bond elections - one for $35 million in March 1979, a second for $40 million in March 1982 and a refinancing bond election to issue $12 million of general obligation bonds in April 1987.
Board members said even with boundary changes, creation of a magnet school at the Davis Area Vocational Center in Kaysville and year-round schedules for some high schools, a new high school is necessary to meet the projected student population growth in the district.
An open enrollment plan last year to voluntarily move students from crowded north Davis high schools to roomy south Davis schools failed miserably. Only eight students accepted the offer.
Figures presented by Lynn Summerhays, board president, Tuesday night showed that by 1992, high school population will have increased to 2,374. By 1994 that number will rise to 3,959 and by 1997 it will swell to 5,738.
Under an extended capacity plan using eight portable classrooms at each high school and using all classrooms every period of the day, Davis County's six high schools still could only accommodate 2,700 students.
"Extended capacity can only be s stop-gap measure," Summerhays said.
Superintendent Richard Kendell recommended that the board pursue the bond election.
While the board voted to start a campaign for a bond election, they must wait until March to officially get the measure on the ballot. Before then, school board members have committed to a long public education campaign.
"The only reason I am committed to this is for those kids. The only reason that I am concerned is because I don't want to have to see the kids maneuver down the halls like sardines," Downs said.
In addition to a possible bond election, the board also ordered boundary studies of the six high schools and probably Kaysville and Farmington junior high schools to be completed by April. Public hearings about the boundary decisions have then been planned to be held throughout the county from March 14 to March 30. The boundary shift for high schools is expected to begin in August 1991.
Next month, reaction panels at affected schools will be organized to gauge public reaction to boundary adjustments. The board also plans to prepare a video tape and create a speaker's bureau of 30 people to help explain the need for bond approval.
The Tuesday action follows recommendations released two weeks ago by a consultant, John Reed Call, that the district construct another high school and shift 400 students from Davis to Viewmont High School and transfer a similar number from Viewmont to Bountiful High School. He also said that year-round has a poor success record in secondary schools.
The district has hired Call, former Granite District superintendent, to help the district arrive at solutions for overcrowding.
Ray Briscoe, board member, said that he still wasn't convinced that a year-round schedules for Davis' secondary schools shouldn't be explored more fully. At present, the board is considering placing two high schools on year-round schedules. District officials say at least one high school, Davis, is too old to effectively air condition and might not be a viable option for a summer schedule.
Briscoe wants administrators from districts from out-of-state year-round secondary schools to visit the district. He also wants board members to visit year-round schools elsewhere.
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Davis bond proposal
This is what taxpayers would get for their $35 million:
- A new 2,200-student high school.....$28 million
- Three junior high additions.....$3 million
- Air conditioning retrofits.....$3 million
- Portable classrooms and classroom renovations.....$1 million