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SALT LAKE CITY -- Two Wasatch Front school districts are adding $250 million bond proposals to the ballot in November.
Granite School District is asking for $256 million, while Davis School District wants an even $250 million. Both districts say the bonds would come with no tax increase.
"There's a great benefit to the district in pursuing the bond at this point in time," Granite School District spokesman Ben Horsley told KSL Newsradio. "We can meet our capital needs with low construction costs and low interest rates - it's a unique opportunity to do so."
Granite's list of capital needs is long:
- Putting much-needed air conditioning in about 60 percent of schools that are currently without
- Replacing two high schools - Granger and Olympus
- Replacing two older elementary schools - Woodstock and Oakwood
- Building a new junior high and two new elementary schools in high-density growth areas
- Erecting a new special needs school
"Our last bond election was in 1983 and unfortunately because of that length of time we've gone without debt, we've fallen a little behind on our capital projects," Horsley said.
Granite District officials are underscoring the fact there is no tax increase planned.
"While the language on the ballot requires disclosure of what the tax impact would be, the board intends to decrease taxes on another section of the levy so there will not be a net tax increase - they will be using current capital funds to make the bond payment," Horsley said.
It's a similar deal in the Davis School District. District spokesperson Chris Williams says they are looking to borrow $250 million to accommodate a projected 84,000 students in 10 years' time.
Williams says the bond proposal includes no tax increase, and the borrowed money would be put toward replacing Wasatch Elementary in Clearfield, building new elementary schools in Layton and West Point, constructing a new junior high on Kaysville's west side, building a special needs school and adding classrooms to existing schools.
E-mail: aadams@ksl.com
