Construction costs impacting district

The state's largest school district is struggling with increasing construction costs.

In 2003, an elementary school building cost the Jordan School District $7 million. But now, says district director of new construction Randy Haslam, that same plan costs $15 million.

The district says the cost of materials has risen along with the cost of land. Increased copper prices have driven the cost of electrical systems up by at least 200 percent. Drywall costs up to 90 percent more and land that used to go for $50,000 an acre is now $300,000 or more.

Haslam says all new schools being built by the Jordan West District — which expects an additional enrollment of 20,000 children by 2016 — will be on year-round schedules so they can house more students.