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Tonya Papanikolas ReportingSome voters across the state tomorrow will be asked to consider school bond proposals to pay for new schools or older school renovations. In some cases, people would face higher taxes to pay for the changes.
If the Davis school district bond passes, Woods Cross elementary will get 7.2 million dollars in new renovations. That is just one out of many schools they hope to fix. Some schools need asbestos removal, others need new fire alarms. The district says it takes money they don't have on their own.
With all the growth in Davis County, the school district says it needs some new schools.
Chris Williams, Spokesman, Davis School District: "This past year we expected 400 new students and we had 1,400 walk in."
So the district is hoping residents will vote in favor of a 230-million bond proposal.
Chris Williams: "The major projects are six new elementary schools, as well as a new junior high school and renovations to a few other schools."
Those renovations include upgrading auditoriums, remodeling classrooms and updating ventilation systems.
Chris Williams: "We have some schools, Woods Cross, Bountiful High, where temperatures sometimes get up in the 100s."
The district emphasizes they are not raising taxes for the bond. The money will come from new homes in the area and property values going up.
In the Provo school district, residents have two school district proposals to consider. The first is a 35-million dollar bond to replace an old elementary school and build a new one. The district says many schools need seismic upgrades, but this funding WILL come from taxes. With a 200-thousand dollar home, property owners will pay up to 82-dollars a year over a 20-year period.
The second proposal is a 1.5-million dollar leeway. On a 200-thousand dollar home residents would permanently pay up to $48 a year. This money will go towards operational funds, for example, hiring more teachers to reduce class sizes.
Carolyn Wright, Provo School Board Member: "It has everything to do with the kind of quality education we can continue to offer in Provo."
Residents who live in the Tooele school district also have a bond proposition to vote on tomorrow. It's a 58-million dollar bond to build a new high school and elementary school. Education officials say the two high schools in the valley are about 500 students over capacity. This bond will also not increase property taxes for residents.
