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Show UTAH Volume 101 MT. PLEASANT, UTAH ' 84647 - April 14, 1993 PRESS ASSN Price $.50 Number Fifteen When bond election failed NS District lost $271,796 in state building funds Eugene Ushinsky, WA Second runner up MT. PLEASAN- T- Not only will the North Sanpete School District not be building new schools in Moroni or Fountain Green or making additions to meet increasing enrollment due to the failure of the bond election last month, it also lost $271,796 in state building aid. Jay Jeffery, financial director for the state office of education, said the state money would have been added to the bond money if voters had approved the districts building program. The $5.8 million bond measure lost by 21 votes. This allocation was based on the bond passing, Jeffery said and explained it would now be divided up and allocated to other districts. He explained that the amount of money in the pool varies every year and is divided by districts meeting the criteria. "To be qualified for critical building aid means you have to be bonded to 95 percent of capacity and qualify for unhoused kids," he explained. Daina Arnoldson, NS Supt. Dennis Mower said first runner up those who attended information meetings prior to the elction were told that the district would lose state critical building funds if the bond failed. He said they could not tell people how much this would be until after the legislature had met and determined the amount in the fund. Jeffery said a number of factors have an impact on the RichMr. and of Mrs. daughter ard Tree, Mt. Pleasant, was formulas used to generate the chosen second runner up in revenues that go into this capital Home Economics a;d Daina outlay building program. He said Arnoldson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gary Arnoldson, Fairview. was chosen first runner up in business education. Eugene Ushinsky, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Ushinsky, Riga, Latvia, was chosen second runner MORON- I- A "Student Eduup in mathematics. He is a Wascational Plan" day will be held atch Academy student. today, April 14, at North Sanpete Middle School. Manti winners were: Kristina Holley, daughter of Bruce and Fifteen-minut- e appointments Shari Holley, Manti, second will be from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. runner up, speech and drama; and from 6 to 8 p.m. Christopher Cox, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lee Cox, Manti, first runStudents should have made ner up, visual arts; and Ted of Olsen, daughter Wendy appointments with their fifth and Vicki Olsen, Ephraim, first period teacher during the day or runner up, Home Economics. evening. Those who need an NS, WA students earn Sterling Scholar honors FILLMORE Three North Sanpete students and one from Wasatch Academy were among the 36 winners named Sterling Scholars or runners up chosen from 10 high schools at the annual Central Utah program. A total of 99 students competed for honors. First place and two runners-u- p were named in each of the 12 categories. Delta High School with three first place and four runners-uhad the most winners, followed by Millard with six; Juab with five; Richfield and Gunnison with four each. Manti also had three winners, South Sevier, two; and North Sevier, one. Amy Beck, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Boyd Beck, Spring City was chosen first runner up in speech and drama; Staci Tree, p, half of the funding is placed in a critical and continuing building aid fund and the other half appropriated in a capital outlay equalization fund. Among the criteria used to determine the distribution is the number of kids, taxes levied by local districts, bonds that are outstanding and unhoused kids. Following legislative action two weeks ago, the district will still receive about $66,000. Jeffery said interest rates now "are the best I have seen in a long time." He noted that interest rates might increase and could cost half again as much money in the next few years. He said that some districts are refinancing and selling bonds and lower rates to save money. He noted that rates are better for shorter terms but bonds are sold on the open market and whoever takes the bonds determines how salable they are. Jeffery said building costs are going to increase because of the demand and that no one can predict where they will go. He also explained that there are restrictions on building size in order to prevent districts from building "Taj Mahals," Jeffery said. He said that although growth and other projections are used, the state does insist on space restrictions if the district is using state funds. "Buildings are to be practical and appropriate," Jeffery said. The North Sanpete Board of Education met last night in Fountain Green to look at alternatives Parent conference set at NS Middle School today appointment should call the middle school. The school hopes these conferences will meet three objectives. First, report cards will be given out. Second, a tentative class schedule for next year will be planned. Third, future educational and occupational goals for each student will be planned with his or her parents. All parents are urged to atthird-quart- er tend. for housing children displaced when the Moroni Elementary School building was destroyed by fire in November. Supt. Dennis Mower said he is concerned about the situation See Lost on page 2 Ron Shelley and Sherm Strate hold awards recently received by North Sanpete School District for excellence in school bus maintenance: the "Silver Award" for meeting an extensive safety inspection criteria list and the "Most Improved" award. The awards are given annually by the Utah Department of Transportation. Wasatch Academy, Mt. Pleasants private boarding high school received UHPs "Gold Award", the highest award which can be received for bus safety and maintenance. UHP honors NS, WA bus drivers for excellence MT. PLEASAN- T- Mt. Plea- sants two high schools were honored by the Utah Highway Patrol for excellence in school bus maintenance. North Sanpete School District received two awards. The "Silver Award" was received for meeting an extensive safety inspection criteria list. The district also received the "Most Improved" award. Only one other school district in the state received two of the annual UHP awards. Wasatch Academy, a private boarding high school received UHPs "Gold Award", the highest award which can be received for bus safety and maintenance. UHP has the responsibility of bus inspections and standards of operation procedures. Each year the highway patrol honors school districts which have achieved the highest standards of safety and maintenance of the bus fleet. North Sanpete School District maintains 19 buses. Sherm Strate, district bus maintenance head, credited the districts bus drivers for contributing to the state recognition. While drivers are not responsible for maintenance, they do contribute to the overall conp dition of the buses with and cleanliness, he preparations pre-tri- said. Ron Shelley assists Strate in maintaining the districts buses. Wasatch Academy has a fleet of four buses. Jim Berlin heads a crew of four maintenance ployees at that school. em- Pyramid poll reveals NS patrons support new schools: reflect other concerns MT. PLEASAN- T- Should North Sanpete School District have another bond election and allow patrons to select which projects they would support, voters would approve building new elementary schools in Moroni and Fountain Green, installing a new boiler at Mt. Pleasant Elementary, replacing roofs on the high school and middle school, and purchasing new text books. Its thumbs down on the rest. At least thats what the result: of The Pyramid straw poll revealed. There were 103 responses. Feelings run deep The poll also revealed that patron dissatisfaction with the bond election went deeper than building new buildings. People expressed concern that district officials and teachers were "hostile.. and behaved like bullies" because patrons dared to disagree with them. Perhaps the response duplicated the most was a lack of trust with school officials. Some respondents felt they were lied to or that all the facts (pertaining to funding the projects) were not presented by the district; the numbers kept fluctuating. Others felt that a new district office was being "slipped in." People complained that the bond, happened too fast and there was not enough time to study it adequately. The districts credibility also received low marks for education-related concerns and for not responding to those concerns when brought to their attention. Want good education "We want our children to have a good education, but more money wont make a teacher better and a new building will not give a child the desire to learn," one patron wrote. Another wrote, "The schools will eventually bankrupt Utah. Enough will never be enough...." Some respondents favored the districts building plan but wanted another funding option instead of raising taxes. Some respondents felt the school district bond would place a lien on their property. Respondents also complained that some district employees were working other jobs on school time; that teachers werent up to par, were very clique-y-, and that "fresh blood and new faces who care," were needed. They also asked, "Why do we need so many coaches?" Kids being exploited A Fountain Green couple who favored most of the building projects were concerned that children are being exploited when they are asked to sell candy, etc. as fund raisers. "We would rather just give the money directly to die schools," they said. They were also concerned that kids and teachers are out of school too much and believe that kids are being short changed by the short days and by using substitutes instead of professional teachers. Some patrons expressed concern that recent building projects reflected poor workmanship, and that the district was paying for trips and workshops when money for textbooks was not available. . high-pric- out-of-sta- te ed 63 percent favor new school in Fountain Green Although response was not as overwhelming, a majority, 63 patrons, supported building a new elementary school in Fountain Green. Only 38 opposed that proposal. About the same response was generated for the boiler at the elementary school in Mt. Pleasant: 65 for; 36 against. Sixty-on- e patrons could support roof replacements at the high school and could middle school. Thirty-si- x not. Most of those responding, 61, also favored bonding for new Thirty-seve- n textbooks. said, "no." Patrons were less eager to support building new classrooms and gymnasiums at the high Patrons also wanted a say in school and middle school, howwhether the district went to douever. Only 39 voted "yes" for the d sessions ble or additions to the high school. schools to overcome crowding. Thirteen said they could support classrooms, but not the gymnasiOf 103 responses to the poll, um, and 52 said, "no." "What do district patrons want?", The response was more even75 voted for reconstructing the ly divided for the middle school. Moroni Elementary School and It was a dead heat at 46 each for and against, but 1 1 said "yes" to only 29 opposed the measure. Concerned over maintenance They also wondered why maintenance projects like new boilers, roofs and parking lots were not taken out of the districts annual maintenance and operation budget. Several respondents suggested building one school for Moroni and Fountain Green and busing students to the new school; others recommended using the old high school gymnasium on State Street in Mt. Pleasant either to meet physical education needs at the new high school or for the district office. One respondent, who favored a new Fountain Green Elementary school, stressed the need to keep the old elementary school instead of tearing it down when the new facility was built. year-roun- classrooms and "no" to a multipurpose area. Least popular items The least popular item which appeared both on the recent bond election ballot and the poll was a proposal to asphalt parking lots. Seventy-fou- r strongly opposed that plan. Only 22 said "go ahead." Patrons are also strongly opposed to building a new district office, so much so that some commented the bond ballot, which was worded so the district could build a district office if the bond passed, was enough to defeat the entire bond package. Eighty-tw- o respondents said they would not support bonding for a district office. Sixteen said they could. And four were undecided. Of those responding, only 44 said that the average $144.30 in annual property tax was a deciding factor in their opinions of the n said it had no project. effect. Most voted in election of the 103 responSeventy-si- x dents said they had voted in the Fifty-seve- See Poll on page 2 |