Salt Lake City has hired a lobbyist just to defeat the measure, as the school district would take a $6 million hit, to be made up in a tax increase, which could stifle city efforts to raise taxes to replace an aging public safety building.

Mayor Ralph Becker says he plans to meet with Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. on the issue in the next few days.

"My citizens had no voice ... yet they're going to have to eat the costs," said Rep. Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman. "I don't understand what a school student in my district did wrong that a school student in Salt Lake did right (to get buildings they need). The answer is, if we're going to fund education, we need to do it equally and we need to do it fairly. The fact is, if equalization does not pass ... my area will see the biggest property tax (increase) seen, probably ever, in Salt Lake County — some estimates are 300 percent."

Jordan-west is about to wrack rack up $800 million in building needs.

"We are certainly appreciative of any help and assistance we can get, and know that it will provide some help and some relief to the challenges of the remaining district," Jordan Superintendent Barry Newbold told the Deseret Morning News. "I think the question still remains unanswered, should this be a single county responsibility to provide equalization relief, or should this be a broader statewide solution over time? I think that's probably an issue that will have some ongoing dialogue and discussion."

Disequalization occurs because of great differences in how much money a district can raise based on the assets within its boundaries and how many students must be educated. Levying one mill of taxes in a "poor" district raises much less per-student than a mill in a "rich" district with relatively fewer children to educate.

Several House members indicated the countywide equalization was a starting point for the larger statewide goal, which they're not quite ready for. Rep. Aaron Tilton, R-Springville, attempted to insert a statewide equalization into the bill, but the House quickly voted that.

The bill now goes back to the Senate, which will decide whether to accept the House's changes to the bill, likely on Monday, Senate leaders said.

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Contributing: Jared Page

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E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com