Voters in northern Utah County will be asked Tuesday to approve a $66.9 million bond and leeway package to ease recent growing pains in one of the fastest-growing school districts in Utah.
"We have capital needs that are extensive. We have ongoing needs that are extensive," said Alpine Superintendent Steven C. Baugh. "This will help our kids into the 21st century."A $60 million general obligation bond and a $6.9 million leeway would be used to build new schools, renovate aging buildings, upgrade technology systems, reduce class sizes and start literacy programs in the 45,000-student district.
The bond and leeway proposal will be listed separately on the ballot.
Combined, a simple majority vote would increase property taxes $30.50 for the first year on a house assessed at $100,000. In three years, the tax increase would rise to $63.50.
Annual property taxes on a $100,000 house would increase $14 if only the bond gains passage by voters, however.
Using $30 million of the bond, at least four new elementary schools could be built. Plans already have been made to break ground in northeast Orem and on the border of Alpine and Highland to prepare for the 51,800 students expected to enroll by 2002.
Land for future school sites - determined by studying "hot spots" of growth - is expected to cost about $5 million, Baugh said. Some $25 million also would be set aside to renovate 11 of the oldest elementary schools, six secondary schools and upgrade facilities at other schools.
Roofs, parking lots, plumbing and electrical wiring need to be fixed in the majority of the district's 53 elementary and secondary schools.
Some $7 million of the leeway is expected to reduce the student-to-teacher ratio by five students. Such a reduction would especially help in junior high, where the class size is one teacher to 27.5 students. Math and English classes also are targeted for reduction.
Leeway funds also would pay for a $3.4 million technology upgrade and $1.2 million personnel and utility costs for new schools. Officials also want to spend $1.6 million on literacy and safety programs.
The state adds 40 cents to district coffers for every 60 cents given by taxpayers through leeway initiatives. If the Alpine proposal gains approval from voters in the June 23 election, the district would get $2.7 million in state money in addition to the $4.2 million yearly leeway.
"Every year we don't have this leeway, $2.7 million of state funds don't come to the Alpine School District," Baugh said.
Three leeway proposals, however, did not pass during the 1980s. Voters finally approved a leeway initiative in the early 1990s.
Since 1972, voters have approved the issuances of six multimillion-dollar bonds to build new schools in Orem, Pleasant Grove, Lindon, American Fork, Highland, Alpine, Lehi and Cedar Hills. Four have since been retired.
Alpine's payments for debt from bonding is nearly $16 million each year.
The most recent bond issuances to build new schools were approved in 1992 and 1995, when a $30 million bond and a $98 million bond were passed, respectively.
Ten buildings were constructed, portables were purchased and schools were renovated with the funds.
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Additional Information
How the money would be used
Tests are over, diplomas handed out and classes are empty for summer vacation. But proponents of a $66.9 million bond and leeway want voters to still think about schools Tuesday.
Alpine School District's revenue-package proposal helps with overcrowding in the 45,000-student district, which braces for a projected head count of 51,800 by 2002.
The monies from the revenue package would be used to:
- Build four to five new elementary schools for $30 million.
- Renovate and upgrade 17 elementary and secondary schools for $25 million.
- Purchase $5 million in land for future schools.
- Reduce classes in junior high English and math classes by five students using $700,000.
- Improve technology access for students and teachers with $3.4 million.
- Open new schools with $1.2 million.
- Provide more texts and library books and fund literacy programs with $1.3 million.
- Increase school safety with $300,000.
Sound good? Now look at the price tag: Passage of both the bond and leeway will increase taxes the first year by $30.50 on a $100,000 house, increasing to $63.50 after the third year.