Here's what 2 school districts in Salt Lake County hope to accomplish through proposed bonds

SALT LAKE CITY — In weeks, voters will decide on bond proposals for both the Salt Lake City and the Murray school districts.

Both proposals have been more than a decade in the making. The Murray City School District hasn't sought a bond since 2012, and the Salt Lake City School District hasn't bonded since 1999.

Here's a breakdown of how much the bonds, if passed, will cost taxpayers within the respective district boundaries and what the districts are hoping to use the potential influx of tax dollars for.

Salt Lake City School District

When voters within the boundary of the Salt Lake City School District cast their ballots in November, they will have the option of voting for or against a $730 million general obligation bond for the district.

If the bond passes, property taxes will increase by $38.33 per year ($3.19 per month) for every $100,000 of home value.

For business owners within the district boundary, property taxes would increase by $67.70 per year ($5.64 per month) for every $100,000 of property value.

The district estimates it would take around 25 years to pay off the bond, though the impact on taxpayers may vary as interest rates fluctuate during that time.

The district now has one of the lowest property tax rates by school districts in the state; the passage of the bond would slightly increase those rates but still keep them below the average property tax rate for school districts in Utah.

Since the district's last bond in 1999, it has prioritized the seismic retrofitting of every district school, including rebuilding several elementary and middle schools.

So, what would the district do with the $730 million if the bond is approved?

A good chunk of the money would go toward rebuilding West High School — the oldest high school in the state, built in 1921 — as well as Highland High School, which was built in 1955.

According to the district's website, both schools have "outdated infrastructure" that includes outdated plumbing and electrical systems, insufficient power outlets for student devices, poor heating and cooling systems and challenges in expanding access to modern-day tech and system management tools.

"These infrastructure challenges make even basic repairs more costly and mean that even the current Highland High School and West High School buildings cannot meet the demands of 21st-century education," the website said.

Through the bond, Highland High School would be rebuilt with on-site solar power and ground-source heat pumps, and West High School would be rebuilt with on-site solar power.

Part of the respective rebuilds for the two schools will also include constructing indoor field houses for athletics at West and Highland High. An indoor field house is also being planned for East High School if the bond passes.

Additionally, the district in 2020 approved a student-led sustainability resolution that established goals for the district to use 100% clean energy by 2030 and to be 100% carbon neutral by 2040.

What followed was a sustainability action plan that has brought the district to 22% of the way toward meeting the goals.

If the bond passes, funds will be used to add or expand solar panels at 14 schools and facilities and install hybrid electric heat pumps and controls at 13 district buildings.

"Completing these projects will take the district from being 22% of the way toward achieving the board's sustainability goals to being about 70% of the way toward our sustainability goals," said the district website.

Murray City School District

The bond measure being proposed to taxpayers within the Murray City School District aims to address address structural deficiencies, school safety, and learning opportunities in two of its schools — Murray High School and Riverview Junior High School.

If passed, the $125,000,000, 20-year bond would carry a $132 per year ($11 per month) property tax increase on the average home value ($538,400) and a $240 ($20 per month) annual increase to business property of the same value.

Part of the bond would be used to replace Riverview Junior High, which was built in 1961.

"The board has determined that the best use of taxpayer dollars is to rebuild Riverview Jr. High, bringing it up to modest but modern standards that provide our students with the best secondary education they deserve," board chairman Jaren Cooper said in a statement.

A release from the district said the school is "significantly compromised" in several areas, including roofing, plumbing, and configurations for safety and modern learning that are costly, inefficient and provide only a temporary fix.

Another portion of the bond would be used to construct a new classroom wing at Murray High School, along with adding security enhancements.

In June, the Murray Board of Education voted unanimously to move ninth-grade students to the high school, regardless of the bond election. The new wing would accommodate the additional classroom space needed, "creating a cost-effective, student-friendly solution," the district said in a release.

"The new wing also helps elevate ninth-grade curricular options and activities not presently available or that have been challenging. This includes student participation in advanced placement classes and involvement with high school extracurricular activities — all at the high school campus," the district said.

Additionally, the district hopes to incorporate updated security enhancements that meet emerging safety practices that help protect students with a newly configured entrance for the high school.

"Our lens for decisions begins with what's best for our students," Superintendent Jennifer Covington said in a statement. "These decisions were unanimous by our board because they easily pass that test. Moreover, these will only improve on Murray's unique approach to meeting kids where they are to provide a quality education."

If the bond passes, construction on the projects would begin immediately in 2025, so both would be complete before the 2027-2028 school year.

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