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Show Bonding is only way to fund construction of new high school On May 8, the voters of Davis County will be asked, "Will the addition of a high school in the northern end of the county be valuable enough to justify a tax increase?" j This is a critical issue. Growth in the north end of the county has been so great in the past ten years that the schools are operating well over capacity. Do you realize that the enrollment enroll-ment of Adams Elementary in Layton, a year-round school, is larger than the enrollment of Bountiful High School? Professional planners believe 100,000 new residents could move into Davis County in the next 15 years. In five years, there will be 5,500 more high school students in the system than can be housed in existing facilities using the ; traditional methods of education. If a 2,200 student capacity high school were opened tomorrow in the LaytonClearfieldSyracuse area, it could be ! filled to capacity immediately without leaving classrooms at Clearfield, Layton and Davis vacant. While the growth problems are largely centered in the northern nor-thern portion of Davis County, it is important for residents living liv-ing in the central and southern portions of the county to understand the urgent need for a new high school. What would happen if the bond failed to pass? The high school system of Davis district would be greatly PupilTeacher Ratio Fall 1988 I fcfafu I Nevada IM mf New Mexico rflr Cokrjcto W " US, Average MtmUim -J2 M Source UKA Waning rm ? j t i ' r i i r ' i " -20 -10 0 !0 20 30 40 Hnnitof Natkiial Awrage 1 changed. This could mean double sessions in all of the high schools. Boundary changes would be so drastic that students in the north would be transported into the Bountiful and Woods Cross schools. Few students would live near the high school they were required to attend. Some educators believe the boundaries of Viewmont High would extend north of Davis High, i The $40 million requested by the Davis School District is not an unreasonable amount. The new high school, additions to j junior highs and some remodeling at other schools are needed. The district is not planning to construct eleborate facilities. The bond money would not be spent on unnecessary 4 'frills." The Davis school board and district staff have been honest and diligent in presenting their message at town meetings held in all parts of the county prior to the start of regular school board meetings. This idea of bringing the government closer to the people has been on-going for nearly two years. If the public is not informed about the issue, it is because the public has been too apathetic to learn the facts. There have been more than sufficient opportunities for people peo-ple opposing the bond to suggest alternative ways of handling the growth problems in our school system. No ideas have been presented. The investment of $30 to $40 in additional property tax to strengthen our secondary school system is worth the cost. Vote Yes" to bonding on May 8. - . . . |
