WASHINGTON TERRACE — Members of the community convened at the Weber School District building Wednesday to hear consideration of a bond measure on the November ballot. The motion, introduced by board member Bruce Jardine and approved unanimously on a roll call vote, will add the bond issue to this year’s ballot.

Director of Facilities Scott Zellmer presented three different options to the board, all of which include the building of three new schools — a high school in Taylor and a junior high and elementary school in West Haven. The plans varied with additional projects, such as replacing Roosevelt Elementary School, T.H. Bell Junior High and Pioneer/Canyon View.

The board decided to go with Option A, the construction of three new schools and the replacement of Roosevelt, which will cost a total of $279 million and not include a tax rate increase. The bulk of the cost comes from the new high school construction, expected to need $157 million. The junior high, elementary and Roosevelt replacement are estimated to cost $51 million, $34 million and $37 million, respectively. Zellmer added that the Roosevelt construction would be done on site if the bond passes.

Listed in the “Cost Considerations” section of the presentation were land purchases (not necessary as a previous board purchased the land needed), land preparation, architectural fees, construction costs and furniture/equipment. For secondary schools, the equipment costs include anything needed for the athletic department, band and theater.

Option B for the bond would have included another $55 million to replace T.H. Bell, bringing the proposed total to $334 million. Option C would have added $45 million more to repurpose Pioneer Elementary to replace Canyon View and build a new school to replace Pioneer in Harrisville.

Making a speech to the rest of the school board, Superintendent Jeff Stephens implored the group to carefully select which option to put on the ballot. If the measure were unsuccessful, the board would have to reevaluate its options and wouldn’t be able to bond again until November 2022.

“Quite frankly, Im not sure what we’d do if we had to push off a high school further into the future,” Stephens said. “With each project we add to that list, it places additional risk on the passage of that bond.”

The newest high school, Fremont High, will be 30 years old by the end of the bond proposal’s building timeline. Fremont also has the lowest current enrollment compared to permanent capacity in the district at 97%, according to the presentation — Roy High has 98% and Weber High sits at 102%. Junior high schools in the district face similar issues with enrollment and capacity:

• Orion Junior High — 116%
• Rocky Mountain Junior High — 108%
• Wahlquist Junior High — 103%
• North Ogden Junior High — 102%
• South Ogden Junior High — 98%
• Sandridge Junior High — 90%

Lane Findlay, community relations and safety specialist for the district, reported to the board an in-house survey of 5,881 total respondents between teachers, parents and the public. The survey reported that 81.2% of educators and 71.7% of public respondents supported a bond measure — as long as it didn’t include a tax increase. When a tax increase was included, which was the case for options B and C, support dropped 12%-18%. That drop worried members of the board regarding the bond’s likelihood of success.

An outside survey of 916 likely voters within the district boundary done by Y2 Analytics found similar results. They reported to the board that 60% supported Option A, the $239 million bond with no tax increase, and that support for Option B, $287 million with a tax increase, fell to 48% of people with a margin of error just under 4%.

Included in their presentation was a report on the school district tax rate since 2005, which has stayed steady even after the 2017 bond.

Roosevelt Elementary, built in 1957, was evaluated as the school most in-need of being replaced. Stephens remarked that it was the top option left off the 2017 bond and hopes for a similar future for T.H. Bell.

“We can see the need. And anybody who drives through, especially the western part of Weber County, sees the need,” Stephens said.

The bond will be included on the Nov. 2 election ballot.

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