ALPINE BONDING GETS RESOUNDING YES

Evidently, it wasn't too hard a choice. Voters in the Alpine School District boundaries overwhelmingly approved a bond issue that will raise their property taxes but ease school overcrowding.

According to unofficial but final balloting results, voters approved undertaking $98 million in general obligation bonds by an almost 2-1 margin, 5,263 to 3,111. Solid majorities in 21 of the 25 voting districts approved the bond issue in the Tuesday night election, which saw more than 13 percent of registered voters turn out to the polls.The bond money will be used to build as many as eight new schools throughout the district's boundaries or renovate existing schools to hold more students. In the end, though, that will cost the average household $88 per year in new property taxes.

"I don't like to pay property taxes; no one does," said Alpine School Board President Ken Sorenson. "But this (vote) means people are willing to take this obligation on to help us build more schools, and I'm glad of that."

Before the increase, Alpine School District had the eighth-lowest property tax rate among the state's 40 school districts. With the new taxes, Alpine is now average for property tax burden in the one of the lowest-taxed states in the United States, said Alpine Business Administrator Jack McKelvy.

Alpine leaders originally anticipated issuing just $73 million in bonds. But after months of discussion, the Alpine School Board decided to bring the district to its full bonding limit - $98 million. After suggestions made by Alpine Superintendent Steven Baugh, the district will wait to issue the full amount, to somewhat ease the new tax burden and also to plan future construction.

The Alpine School Board will issue $73 million this year to construct two new high schools and two new elementary schools, one of each in the American Fork-Alpine-Highland and Orem-Lindon areas. District leaders hope the new elementaries will relieve the crowded Windsor and Northridge elementaries in Orem, as well as Highland Elementary and Shelley Elementary in American Fork.

The new high schools should ease enrollment crunches at Mountain View High in Orem and both the American Fork and Pleasant Grove high schools. All three are crowded beyond their designed capacities, even with portable or satellite classrooms, Baugh said.