WEST JORDAN — Residents in the Jordan School District could see an increase in their annual property taxes if voters approve a new $245 million bond proposal set to go on the November ballot.

The bond, which was publicly announced Monday, would be used to build six new school buildings in the district, which is expected to take on more than 9,200 additional students in the next five years.

"The No. 1 concern that we have is that every student in Jordan District gets a great education, and we know that educational quality can suffer if you have overcrowded schools," said Susan Pulsipher, president of the district's Board of Education. "We want to make sure that we have adequate resources for students and teachers to maintain a high-quality education."

Over the next five years, the average homeowner in the district — those with a home worth $287,000 — could expect a maximum increase in annual property taxes of $16.80, which would gradually go down as the bond is paid off over a 21-year period.

That's on top of debt from old bonds that district residents are already paying, currently averaging $134 in annual dues per resident. Without the new bond, those debts would be paid off by 2020.

It's an additional cost for taxpayers, but it's a fraction of the district's previous bond proposal.

In 2013, voters rejected what would have been a $495 million bond for the construction of 11 new schools and renovations at several existing campuses. The bond failed in a vote of roughly 67 percent to 32 percent, despite an earlier survey that showed community support for the initiative.

Among other issues, the size of the 2013 proposal was what turned most voters off, according to district spokeswoman Sandy Riesgraf.

"We've listened and we've learned a lot since that last bond," Riesgraf said. "This time, the bond is less than half the amount of last time."

Since 2009, the district has built seven new elementary schools that haven't required tax increases for residents, including two new elementary schools currently being built in Daybreak and Herriman.

District leaders say they've also reduced estimated construction costs by more than 17 percent and have removed maintenance expenses from the bond's proposed objectives. Bond revenues also can't be used for employer salaries or classroom materials.

If the bond passes, the district would open four new schools for the 2019-20 school year, including a middle school in South Jordan, a rebuild of West Jordan Middle School, and new elementaries in Bluffdale and Herriman. The following year, the district plans to open a new high school and middle school in Herriman.

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Voters reject $495M Jordan School District bond

Voters in Jordan School District struck down a nearly half-billion-dollar bond proposal, rejecting the measure by a margin of more than 30 points.

The projects are mostly driven by rapid population growth and housing development in the district, which is currently tracking more than 560 residential developments going up in the area, according to district spokesman Steve Dunham.

School enrollment is expected to climb from 52,324 to 61,575 students in the next five years. In 2010, the district enrolled 49,730 students, according to the Utah State Office of Education.

The Jordan School District is home to the largest and second-largest three-year high school in the state: Copper Hills High School with 2,711 students, and Herriman High School with 2,623 students. Three of the district's middle schools are also among the top 10 most populous in the state.

"There is a tremendous amount of growth out here," Dunham said.

That growth led to 13 school boundary changes last year. The district also has 15 year-round schools, which accommodate 28 percent of the district's population. Jordan schools have also used 250 portable classrooms to house 12 percent of students in the district.

"We've been trying to be extremely good stewards of taxpayer dollars and good listeners to the concerns of our district," Pulsipher said. "We really want this to be a community effort."

More information on the bond can be found at jordanbond.org.

Contributing: Ladd Egan

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