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Show Vste Ttim. For Bond By TOM BUSSELBERG North County News Editor Tuesday's the day voters get the chance to exercise their option at the polls. IT'S THE SECOND election in four weeks for Davis County voters. This time around, the school board is asking support of a $40 million building bond authorization. What that means, I'm told, is the board can then break that amount up, selling portions of it, as needed, to (fund various construction projects ranging from new schools to additions on existing facilities, purchase portable port-able classrooms or install air conditioning condi-tioning should year-round schools become be-come a reality. UNLIKE THE paramedics election, where voters for the first time had the chance to express feelings on a funding change, the district's bond election is the seventh in 20 years. Some $82 million mil-lion dollars in construction moneys have resulted through such means. A dozen or so projects are under way right now thanks to the last of $35 million approved in 1 979. The new Columbia Col-umbia Elementary School in Kaysville, Kaysvil-le, Clinton Elementary and Farming-ton Farming-ton Junior High are among such facilities facili-ties so funded. UNDERSTANDABLY, some are asking what approval would mean to their taxes. Where nearly 40 percent of a worker's income goes to taxes and hundreds or thousands go for property taxes, these days, any intelligent voter could be expected to raise that point. The board of education, board clerk and superintendent of schools have all said approval will mean no additonal taxes. Just as the district is currently paying off its outstanding bonding indebtedness in-debtedness on a yearly basis that will continue, at no added expense. That's possible due to continued growth in the county that brings additonal tax dollars. dol-lars. THE BOARD could have opted for a higher bonding figure-the capacity is there. Following in the sound conservative conser-vative tradition held to by the district ' in bonding for many years that's resulted re-sulted in an enviable bonding rating, they opted for a lower figure. It won't all be spent at once, .although costs mean it won't last as long as it could have 10 years ago, surely. It's anticipated that $40 million will last fm-seven years. At a cost of just under $3 million for an elementary school, $5 or $6 million for a junior high and $17-$20 million for a high school, it should last a while. ENROLLMENT projections emphasize empha-size most growth is anticipated in the elementary age group, ages 5-1 1 or 12. That would mean enough money for about 14 elementary schools if all of it went in that direction. Undoubtedly, it'll be split up according to needs, the same as now, where some goes for a 12-classroom addition at Layton High while other funds go for a new media center at Burton Elementary in Kaysville, for example. AREN'T THERE other ways to solve the anticipated student growth, or should I say continued boom? The district's been studying everything every-thing from extended day, to double sessions, to year-round schools to busing bus-ing students to other districts. And at least some district officials says several sever-al of these will be needed simul-taneously-along with new building-to meet the growth. A DISTRICT energy audit of all 70 school buildings has been run and bids are to be opened next month for an energy conservation system that'll gradually gra-dually be phased into each school, providing pro-viding for constant monitoring-and conserving-of energy as well as trouble-shooting mechanisms to pin-point new problems. A lot's been said and written about school financial needs within the last fews years. A voted leeway authorization authoriza-tion was approved little more than a year ago. That helps in providing funds for maintenance and operation activities, activi-ties, from paying salaries to books and furnishings. Law permits virtually no mixture between M&O and capital outlay-construction funds such as are the subject of Tuesday's election. is r THE DISTRICT'S trimmed a lot its programs to meet that tight M" budget-consolidating bus routes w altering schedules to save gas, enwj ing for some music and athletic pros - rams, reducing some staff, from lenP of hours for elementary media aioe the number of nurses to not replace four top-level administrators. And the salaries paid statT-:sucn the superintendent and assistant haven't escalated to the rx)in ot districts. They Ye about in them J' I'm told, among the nation s d even though Davis-the state most populous-is also cons large by national standards. I'D ASK VOTERS to firsU their right and vote; secondly, them to weigh the issue and give attention needed to make a tin" sion, one way or the other. It's be my choice to vote bond. richt as 3 THEN, EXERCISE you n citizen, as well, and keep taP five members of that board oi tion you elected. Give their . np building matters or anything e their domain. and ne Theyecxpresscdadesire to follow dictates of the e i, Give them that chance by vo' V feelings, Tuesday and in itne-j ... " """ "" "" j x |