Davis District seeking $250M

FARMINGTON — Elementary school No. 59 is being built in western Kaysville.

But it's not enough. Even the next few schools to be built in Davis County won't be enough to adequately hold all of the students entering the Davis County classrooms.

So the Davis School District again is asking for voters to approve $250 million in bonds for construction, maintenance and land purchases for future schools.

And the district is holding three open houses for Davis residents, who may want to ask questions or get more information before the Nov. 3 election.

"Davis County seems to be able to keep the schools full," said Chase Rogers, the district's director of planning. "Our birth rate is significant, and our kids like to stay here."

High growth in the western and northwestern areas of the county have driven the need for more schools, though Rogers said he's seeing rates that are starting to smooth out across the county.

Two elementary schools, one junior high and two-thirds of a high school are needed for every annual increase of 1,000 students in the Davis County School District, he said.

The bond open houses will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the choral rooms of both Davis High School, 325 S. Main, Kaysville, and Viewmont High School, 120 W. 1000 North, Bountiful. Another open house will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday in the choral room of Syracuse High School, 665 S. 2000 West.

In 2006, a similar bond vote was approved by 76 percent of the voters, in part because the bond election didn't impose a tax increase.

It's the same story this year, Rogers said.

"We anticipate no tax increase," he said.

But because the bond tax rates won't slowly drop over time as bonds are paid off and will instead remain the same, state law requires the district to advertise that the bonds are a tax increase of $156.93 per year on a home valued at $252,000.

But the Davis School Board has promised to spread out the bond issues, so a tax increase will not be required, meaning the tax rate will stay the same over the next few years.

"The promise is similar to promises made and kept in 1997, 2002 and 2006," according to a district news release.

What the bond issues will accomplish is also similar:

Construction of a new junior high school in western Kaysville.

Construction of new elementary schools in western Layton, West Point and a location to be determined.

A rebuild of Wasatch Elementary with a total of 30 classrooms.

Construction of a special-education school for medically fragile students and 18- to 22-year-old students.

Addition of classrooms to Millcreek Junior High, Woods Cross High School, South Weber Elementary and Layton High School.

Purchase of property for future school sites.

More information is available at www.davis.k12.ut.us.

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