Date: Sunday, October 15, 2006

Resource: Daily Herald

Daily Herald
District patrons upset with Investigations math and perceived unresponsiveness by the Alpine School District may decide that shooting down the $230 million bond and leeway is an act of poetic justice.

Or supporters of the defeated Orem district may decide to scuttle the bond package to ensure that, should the secession movement be revived, the new district would not be encumbered with Alpine's debt.

But that would be a mistake. It would only hurt the children the district serves and the community as a whole.

The district estimates that between 8-10,000 children will come into the schools in the next four-to-six years. These children will come whether the bond and leeway are approved or not. Unlike private or charter schools, Alpine can't put out a "no vacancy" sign or set up a waiting list for admission.

If voters reject the bond and leeway, these additional kids are going to have to be crowded into the existing buildings, forcing the district to consider overcrowding, double sessions or other less-acceptable ways of coping with the boom.

Passing the bond will allow the district to add new buildings and classrooms to handle the increased population. The proposal calls for building a new high school in Saratoga Springs, easing the strain on Lehi High School, along with two new middle schools and five new elementary schools in the north and west parts of the district, where the most growth is anticipated.

The bond will also pay for renovations and additions to Pleasant Grove, Mountain View and Lone Peak high schools, as well as a reconstruction of Orem High School.

The district also plans additions and remodeling at four junior high schools and seven elementary schools, replacing portable classrooms with permanent structures, as well as making seismic and data wiring upgrades.

The district plans to phase in the bond over four years, minimizing the cost to taxpayers and giving the district flexibility to respond to growth. Some projects can be delayed or hastened, depending on how the growth comes in. The phasing also corresponds with the retirement of older debts, allowing the district to keep debt payments as low as possible. After four years, the owner of a $200,000 home will pay $2.07 a month more in property taxes to cover the bond payments.

But passing the bond is not enough. The district still has to operate and maintain the buildings, as well as hire additional staff to run them. That's where the leeway comes in. The leeway slightly increases the property tax, about $2.75 a month for the average homeowner, to cover those costs.

The bond and leeway should not be viewed as a vote of confidence in the district's administration. Instead, the bond and leeway are a chance to invest in the community.

The school system is one of the crucial measures of a community. Businesses consider the state of education when locating in a community, while real estate agents tout good schools as selling points for homes.

If the district cannot respond to growth properly, it will reflect poorly on the community, and the area's vitality could eventually suffer as businesses and people decide to go where the schools are better.

There are more appropriate venues for dealing with other grievances with the district, such as through the community councils, school board meetings or even the board elections. But voters must put the greater good of the community first when it comes to the bond and leeway.

Spending less than $5 a month is a small price to protect the area's quality of life. Vote yes on the Alpine bond and leeway.