Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes
- Four Utah school districts proposed bonds for school improvements.
- Salt Lake City and Murray districts saw preliminary voter approval for their bonds.
- Iron County and Box Elder districts faced preliminary voter opposition to their proposals.
SALT LAKE CITY — Across the Beehive State, four school districts — Salt Lake City, Murray, Iron County and Box Elder — placed bond proposals on the ballot for residents in district boundaries to vote on.
Here's a breakdown of how the proposals fared for each district and what the districts hope to accomplish with the funds, along with how the bonds will impact taxpayers.
Salt Lake City School District
The Salt Lake City School District hasn't bonded since 1999, and preliminary election results from voters within the district boundary indicate that voters are in favor of a $730 million bond for rebuilding two high schools, building indoor field houses for athletics and implementing more sustainability measures.
As of Tuesday night, 60.54% of voters whose ballots had been tallied voted for the issuance of bonds, with 39.46% voting against the bond.
A good chunk of the money will 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According to the district's website, both schools have "outdated infrastructure" that includes outdated plumbing and electrical systems, insufficient power outlets for student devices, poor heating and cooling systems and challenges in expanding access to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 says.
Through the bond, Highland High School will be rebuilt with on-site solar power and ground-source heat pumps, and West High School will 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. An indoor field house is also being planned for East High School.
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.
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," the district website says.
As for the impact on taxpayers, 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 will increase by $67.70 per year ($5.64 per month) for every $100,000 of property value.
Murray City School District
Preliminary election results from voters within the district boundary indicate that voters are in favor of the $125 million bond to address structural deficiencies, school safety and learning opportunities in two of its schools: Murray High School and Riverview Junior High School.
As of Tuesday night, 61.98% of voters whose ballots had been tallied voted for the bond, with 38.02% voting against the bond.
The $125 million, 20-year bond will 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 will 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 will 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.
Iron County School District
Much further south, preliminary election results out of Iron County show that voters within the district's boundaries are opposed to the $66 million bond.
As of Tuesday night, 56.09% of voters whose ballots had been tallied voted against the bond, with 43.91% voting in favor of the bond.
The bond would've gone toward two projects: the construction of a new, 10th elementary school and a building specifically designed to house alternative programs such as Launch High and Southwest Education Academy — which helps credit deficient high school students get a diploma, according to the district website.
The new elementary school was needed, the district said, as the district is extremely fast-growing, jumping from 9,544 students in 2019 to 15,000 students in 2024.
Currently, the district is made up of three preschools, nine elementary schools, two middle schools, three high schools and four alternative learning settings.
The capacity of the new school would've been around 650 to 700 students and was estimated to cost about $36 million.
As for a dedicated building for the alternative programs, the district said enrollment for both programs — which currently have waiting lists — would've been set to double with a new building.
"To say we are disappointed is an understatement. The bond's failure will continue the challenges we face with elementary growth and providing an appropriate facility for our alternative program students," said a statement from the district. "However, we respect the democratic process and collective voice of the community. We remain committed to providing an exceptional education to our students and finding solutions that will help meet their needs."
Box Elder School District
In the far northwest corner of the state, preliminary election results indicate voters in Box Elder County are opposed to a $220 million bond for various district improvements that include new builds and renovations, with 68.94% of of voters whose ballots had been tallied voting against the bond.
Having not bonded since 2007, the 17 years between then and now represents the longest period between bonds in the district's history, and it appears the chance for the district to bond will again be pushed back.
"Bear River and Box Elder Middle School, we'd like to build new schools. They're old, they're inefficient, they're unsafe," said Steve Carlsen, district superintendent.
The cost of building the two new middle schools, Carlsen said, would've been roughly $70 million for each.
Additionally, the bond would've secured $66 million to fund renovations for Bear River High School and Box Elder High School.
The planned renovations would have included adding instructional spaces for incoming freshmen, updated career and technical education spaces and core classrooms at both high schools.
The district also wanted to renovate Lake View and North Park Elementary schools, and the bond would've included adding air conditioning in all elementary schools that don't have it already.
