OREM — One of the state's fastest-growing school districts will likely have the funds to continue building schools.
The majority of northern Utah County residents voted in favor of the Alpine School District's $230 million bond issuance and an increase in the voted leeway to generate an extra $4.6 million each year for staff and operating costs. The bond issue proposal won 66 percent of the vote; the leeway proposal won 63 percent.
"With the bond, (growth) was a critical component of it," Alpine Superintendent Vern Henshaw said. "And, also, to upgrade some of our existing facilities — so it's twofold."
Officials in the 56,000-student school district project 2,000 new students will enroll in Alpine schools every year through 2010. The district plans to build five new schools with the bond money.
Educators in the 23,000-student Washington School District were cautiously optimistic late Tuesday that a measure to increase the district's property tax levy would squeak out a winner. Officials said the extra funds would pay for higher starting salaries for teachers, support reading programs and pay for gifted- and talented-student programs.
With 70 of the county's 78 precincts counted at press time, the votes in favor of the tax increase were running ahead of the nay votes, 52 percent to 48 percent.
It was the second attempt at passing the increase. The proposed increase was voted down during the June primary election, although registered voters did pass a bond of $150 million to fund construction of new schools.
In Wasatch County, with 100 percent of precincts reporting, 67 percent of residents approved the issuance of $59.5 million in bonds for a new high school that will be located on 39 acres east of the football field of the current Wasatch High, which is 50 years old and not large enough for projected growth.
The current high school will be sold and could be torn down if the new owners decide to do so.
The new Wasatch High will be designed for up to 1,500 students on land that has room for expansion, if needed. The new high school, which Superintendent Terry Shoemaker called "desperately needed," is slated to open in August 2009.
"We are very excited about the community's confidence in our proposal," Shoemaker said. "We're just thrilled."
In Morgan County, residents will get a new school in the 2,000-student Morgan School District, which has just an elementary school, a middle school and a high school, all located in the hamlet of Morgan.
With 100 percent of precincts reporting, 75 percent of voters approved the issuance of a $25 million in bonds to add an elementary school in the town of Mountain Green. Morgan Elementary is over-crowded by more than 300 students.
"The community's growing," Superintendent Ron Wolff said. "There's a lot of new housing developments, a lot of new people coming in. This was a real critical vote."
Morgan Elementary and Morgan High School will receive additions and upgrades.
Contributing: Nancy Perkins
E-mail: lhancock@desnews.com