Every school dollar precious

What's the south valley's best bang for the buck, a professional soccer stadium or millions in public education funds?

Depending upon how the final deal is structured, the Jordan School District could be the spoiler in the Real Salt Lake stadium deal with Sandy and Salt Lake County, or it could force officials to rework the agreement. Sandy officials have pledged $15 million toward the stadium, which would be made available through a community-development area or CDA. Participating government entities agree to divert their share of future property tax revenues to the redevelopment project for a time. The soccer stadium project would receive some $5 million of the school district's property tax revenue if the school board agrees to participate.

It shouldn't. It shouldn't because the school district has diverted some $48 million to redevelopment agencies between 1979-2005, with nearly $23 million going to Sandy RDAs. As a matter of principle, school districts should fight redevelopment agency actions that divert public school funding to economic development activities because school districts rarely benefit in these arrangements.

The Jordan Board of Education knows this. In fact, the school board passed a resolution in 2005 that said it would be open to working with entities creating RDAs, "inasmuch as they are willing to significantly mitigate any loss of funds to the Jordan School District."

This issue is complicated further as Sandy contemplates seceding from Jordan School District to form its own school district with Draper and Cottonwood Heights. It remains to be seen if these deliberations pressure the Jordan school board into taking part in the CDA.

Regardless, it's bad policy to divert school funds to RDA projects. The Jordan Board of Education needs to draw a line in the grass and opt out of the soccer stadium CDA.