Residents of the Jordan School District Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a $154 million bond, the largest in Utah's history, for construction of seven new schools, renovations and land purchases.
Five out of five proposed bonds in Utah school districts - Cache, Davis, Jordan, Provo and San Juan - passed Tuesday. The clean sweep "speaks highly of the people of this state," said Cache School District Superintendent Steve Norton.All told, the bonds add up to $286.5 million.
Turnout was low. About 10 percent of registered voters punched ballots. Jordan officials had expected about 20 percent turnout and got 9 percent.
The Jordan bond will finance construction of five elementary schools in various locations and a middle school and high school in Riverton. It will also fund numerous capital improvements and enable the district to buy up land for future schools.
"I am relieved," Jordan Superintendent Barry Newbold said Wednesday. "It's a big win for the students and for the patrons."
Slightly less than 74 percent of those voting in Jordan (9,492 for, 3,379 against) approved the bond, which will raise taxes by $75 each year on a $100,000 home in the district.
Riverton Mayor Sandra Lloyd was a vocal supporter of the bond, saying that children in her town are now crammed into classrooms and the only way to alleviate the situation is, simply, money.
"We really need it," she said.
Newbold has pledged quick relief for Riverton. Construction on six of the seven schools will begin this summer; the elementary schools will be ready for the 1998-1999 school year. The middle and high schools should be ready soon after that, he said.
With the district growing by 800 to 1,000 students every year, even the $154 million won't be enough for the long haul. Jordan officials say they have identified $280 million in needed projects. "This gives us a brief window of relief from the overcrowding," Newbold said.
The board will consider another bond beginning in the year 2000.
Davis
In Davis County, voters approved a $75 million bond that will fund growth for the next five years. The bond passed with a 74 percent majority (7,884 for, 2,741 against).
The money will be used to build seven new elementary schools and expand others. It will also fund various renovations and land for 11 future school sites.
Taxes on a $100,000 home will increase by $39.
Davis voters also approved a voted leeway, which raises the amount of taxes the school board is allowed to levy. The 69 percent victory of the voted leeway (6,838 to 3,120) was lower than the bond's, primarily because many people don't understand the complex mechanics of the voted leeway, said Assistant Superintendent Nancy Fleming.
Provo
More than 85 percent of participating voters in the Provo district (2,277 for, 439 against) passed its $22.5 million bond, which will fund construction of two new elementary schools and various capital improvements.
The bond will not increase taxes but will utilize money that will be available as current debts are paid. It will extend existing annual tax payments for another 20 years. Without it, a portion of existing debt would have expired in three years.
Cache
In Cache County, voters decided on the less costly of two alternatives put to them, approving $30 million rather than $36 million in bonds, which will raise taxes by $79 per year on a $100,000 home. The proceeds will fund two new middle schools and elementaries, as well as some renovations. The $36 million option would have built a new high school in place of the middle schools.
Percentage of voters favoring the bond was 77 percent (3,738 for, 1,117 against). Percentage favoring the cheaper option was 65 percent (2,512 for the middle schools, 1,355 for the high school).
"We thought all along that either way they wanted to go was fine," Superintendent Norton said.
The final Cache district results came in very late - close to midnight. Good thing the Jazz were playing.
"(Watching the game on television) was the only thing that kept us sane," Norton said.
San Juan
San Juan district is the only one of the five that will not use its $5 million bond proceeds to fund growth. Rather, the money, together with $2 million from the state, will bring 150 Navajo students together in southeastern Utah.
The bond passed with 72 percent of voters favoring it (1,266 to 482).
Currently, the Navajo students are forced to travel as many as 51/2 hours to schools in disparate locations. The bond will finance construction of Navajo Mountain High School for their use near the Arizona border, as well as some renovations to existing schools.
"I'm really excited about it," said Superintendent Gary Cameron. "I've had a good feeling all along that the voters in San Juan County would support the issue."
The vote will finally put to rest years of legal skirmishes between the district and the American Indian tribe (as well as the U.S. Department of Justice) over whether Navajo students were being treated fairly.
Significant opposition to the bond had developed before the election. Blanding, in fact, narrowly voted against the bond. District business manager Kent Tib-bitts said the opposition was probably a mixture of anti-tax and anti-Navajo sentiment.
Deseret News staff writer Darcy Kirkham contributed to this report.