As of late Tuesday night, it appeared that voters had given the green light to school bonds in six districts totaling nearly $500 million in building projects.
Around 80 percent of Davis County voters passed a $230 million bond that will fund six new elementary schools, a rebuild and one new junior high. It will also help with the continued construction of a new high school in Syracuse and will not raise the current tax rate.
Provo students will also be getting two new elementary schools, improvements to Provo High and other schools after the passage of that district's $35 million bond along with a voted leeway to increase teacher salaries and reduce class sizes at the district's two high schools.
Tooele's packed classrooms will be getting a bit of relief. Somewhere around 73 percent of voters there approved a $57.5 million bond that will help get students out of portables.
The rapidly growing county will have a new high school in Stansbury Park, as well as a new elementary school.
Washington County passed a $150 million bond that will help build four new elementary schools, an intermediate school and a new high school.
But residents weren't as willing to pass a voted leeway to increase property taxes in the county. They voted down a tax increase that would have paid for increased teacher salaries and expansion of the district's reading intervention program.
Ogden's scaled-down $95.3 million bond also passed after last year's larger bond failed — 66 percent voted for the proposal this year.
Leaders there plan to build three new elementary schools, remodel three middle schools, rebuild Ben Lomond High School and restore historic Ogden High.
A $65 million bond also passed in Weber County that will build a new elementary, replace two aging elementary schools and a junior high, as well as remodel three other elementaries.
Weber residents also passed an increase in the voted leeway to generate funds needed for the ongoing operating costs of the new construction.
The election also whittled down the race for school board seats in Granite, Murray, Davis and Ogden. Incumbents in most districts were able to stay on the ballot for general elections.
Contributing: Laura Hancock and Nancy Perkins
E-mail: terickson@desnews.com