Show Board Member Probes Bond fond Issue By DON SIMMONS IONS Next Tuesday the citizens of our school district will have havethe havethe havethe the opportunity of voting for or against a bond issue which will to a large larg extent determine determine determine deter deter- mine the future course of education in our district The proposed bond issue is for the amount of to be used as follows 1 l 1 The construction of a anew anew new vocational building and extensive remodeling of the interior of the high school building 2 Construction of additional addition addition- al junior high school classrooms classrooms classrooms class class- rooms and razing of the old elementary school In Ephraim and 3 Construction of classroom space and completion of an auditorium and lunch room inthe Inthe in inthe the Gunnison High School These projects are part of the long range building program program pro prow gram which was first proposed by the Board of Education several years ago but which were not included as part of previous bond elections The reason the Board of Education selected this particular particular particular par par- time to hold the bond election and the questions of taxation that arc are always implied im Ira plied in a bond election ejection are Matters with which o our r peo people eo- eo OpIe O- O pIe should be concerned Several Several Several Sev Sev- eral questions pertaining to the bonding program have been asked and I would like to discuss these 2 2 WHY WHY IS THE BOND ELECTION BEING HELD AT THIS TIME Our district is one of the few districts of the state which participated in the Emergency Building Program that was adopted by the State Legislature three years ago Up to now we have received from this program In order to participate however the law requires that we must be bonded to within 95 per percent percent percent cent of our maximum legal bonding capacity When the current annual payment on our bonds is made we will wiIl fall below the 95 per cent requirement requirement require require- ment and will wiIl be ineligible to receive any money from the Emergency Building Program During the next two years this will wiIl amount to approximately approximately approximately which will be distributed to other districts participating in the program IF THE BOND ELECTION IS NOT PASSED WE WILL LOSE BUT WE WILL STILL PAY THE SAME AMOUNT OF TAXES TO THE STATE 2 2 WILL THE BOND ISSUE REQUIRE AN INCREASE IN TAXATION The answer to this question is an unqualified no At the present time the school district district district dis dis- dis- dis levy for bond payment and capital improvement purposes purposes purposes pur- pur poses amounts to 16 mills Under Under Under Un Un- der the proposed schedule of payments for the new bond t tissue issue this amount of tax will adequately cover the greatest anticipated payment THE NEW BOND ISSUE WILL NOT RESULT IN AN INCREASE INCREASE INCREASE IN IN- CREASE IN TAXES 3 3 EVEN IF THE BOND ISSUE WILL NOT REQUIRE RAISING TAXES ISN'T IT TRUE THAT IT WILL REQUIRE RE QUIRE THE PRESENT TAXATION TAXATION TAX TAX- OVER A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME The answer to this question is also No In developing the building program to be paid for through the bond Issue issue is Is- sue the Board of Education has been extremely careful in including those programs which will be of greatest benefit benefit benefit bene bene- fit and will fill the greatest needs in improving the educational educational educational programs of the district If the bond election fails it will mean the loss of emergency building aid which will have to be raised through local taxes in the future Add to this the continuing increase in the costs of construction and it will add up to a figure many thousands of dollars of or unnecessary future taxation 4 4 WHAT ABOUT THE MONEY THAT WAS VOTED FOR L. L A A- MANTI l 1 Following the last bond election election election elec elec- tion approximately 1800 was allocated to the development development develop develop- ment of a new physical education education education tion plant at Manti ManU Of this amount approximately 50 was used for the purchase of property on the lower part of the school block With this property it willbe Will Willbe willbe be possible to locate a 5 1 mile track a football field a baseball diamond and one or two little league or or softball diamonds Work is already underway to prepare this area for planting grass The balance of the money is being held with interest for the construction of a new gymnasium Armory-gymnasium in cooperation cooperation cooperation cooper cooper- with the Utah National Guard It is expected that construction of this facility will begin this summer probably probably probably ably about August 1 CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION CON CON- OF T THIS HIS H I S BUILDING WILL NOT BE AFFECTED BY THE PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT PRES PRES- ENT BOND ELECTION It is my opinion that this is the most important election that has been presented to the people of our district It can provide the means for us to greatly improve our programs in such vital areas as vocational vocational vocational voca voca- education Our out drop problem will be lessened by providing meaningful education education education tion that can lead to employment employment employ employ- ment nent in such areas as electronics electronics electronics elec elec- auto mechanics and business as well as the metal metalworking metalworking working carpentry and welding welding weld weld- ing ng trades I earnestly recommend and solicit that you vote Yes on the he bond election next Tues- Tues lay |