Residents of the Provo School District Tuesday approved a $22.5 million bond for construction of two new elementary schools and various capital improvements.
Five out of five proposed bonds in Utah school districts passed on Tuesday. They total $286.5 million. The clean sweep "speaks highly of the people of this state," said Cache School District Superintendent Steve Norton.As expected in a May election, turnout was low. About 10 percent of registered voters in the Cache, Davis, Jordan, Provo and San Juan school districts punched ballots.
Eighty-five percent of participating voters in the Provo district (2,277 for, 439 against) passed its proposed bond, which will provide funds for construction of a new elementary school near Bicentennial Park in southeast Provo, and one at 2600 West and 300 South in Provo. The west-side school will replace the 100-year-old Maeser Elementary School, which may be converted into district offices.
The bond will also finance various capital improvements throughout the district, including roof maintenance, air conditioning, new asphalt, athletic facilities, restroom remodeling, plumbing modifications and security doors. In addition, safety lifts will be added to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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.
"We are very happy that it passed and that we can improve the schools for the children," said district budget officer Lynn Smith.
Sandy Packard, a Provo resident against the bond, said, "I'm glad the kids will be getting the capital improvements, but I'm sorry the tax-payers are paying as much for it as they are."
Jordan
Residents of the Jordan School District approved a record-breaking $154 million bond, which will finance the 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.
Seventy-four percent of Jordan voters (9,492 for, 3,379 against) approved raising taxes by $75 each year on a $100,000 home in the district.
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. 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. It 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, including putting partial walls in the district's last open school, Bountiful's Muir Elementary, and will be used to buy 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.
San Juan
San Juan School District is the only one of the five districts 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.
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 Tibbitts said the opposition was probably a mixture of anti-tax and anti-Navajo sentiment.
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).
The final Cache School 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," Superintendent Norton said.
Deseret New staff writer Lucinda Dillon contributed to this report.