The Standard-Examiner urges a yes vote on a $250 million bond for the Davis School District. The measure will enable the district to upgrade and repair existing facilities as well as fund the construction of two elementary schools in west Point and west Layton, a junior high in Kaysville and a special education school for adults and medically fragile students.
Without the bond, the Davis School District cannot adequately keep up with its student growth. Most years the district adds close to 1,000 students. It may very well one day be the state's largest school district. Without the bond, district officials will have to place more portable classrooms in schools.
This cheaper solution crowds students and cuts into schools' taking full value of their property space.
And that's not a good deal for our Top of Utah students.
With the recession, this is an excellent time for the district to contract for the upgrades and new products. Construction costs are very low compared to other times. An example is one planned elementary school, which would cost $2 million less than if constructed in 2007. Putting off these projects would likely result in higher costs to the district, and residents, in the future.
The Davis bond will follow a previous bond that addressed growth needs. Because of this situation, on the ballot the bond is considered a "tax increase" because its passage will not reduce property taxes on a $252,000 residence by $156.93 a year, which would occur when the current bond ends and no new bond follows.
That's true, but voters need to understand that passing the new bond will not increase their current property taxes. It will only keep the current tax rate the same. That's because the current debt rate the district has will stay the same. The district -- and Davis residents -- are not getting an increase in what they are already paying if the bond passes.
These are not luxuries being proposed by the district. They are designed to meet the needs of a fast-growing school district. We all have to pay for bonding, but doing it now is smart.
It's an opportunity to build the best and safest schools for students while rates and costs are lower.
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