North Summit pledge to replace aging school trails: 44% of votes counted

The North Summit School District’s proposal for a $114 million bond to replace its half-century-old high school lagged in even earlier results released Wednesday.

The measure was a losing vote, with 909 “no” votes and 694 “yes” votes out of 1,452 counted as of 10:20 p.m., or 44% of the total votes cast.

The old high school is nearly half a century old, falling apart and ill-equipped for today’s students, North Summit School District officials say.

The school was built in 1977 and its swimming pool in 1966. The district put up a $114 million bond to replace them on land owned by the school district. District leaders waited until the bond for a new high school was passed in 2004 and fully paid off in the spring before trying the project. The school board voted unanimously in August to place the bill on the ballot.

For every $100,000 in primary residence value, that would mean an annual tax increase of $118. For second homes or businesses, that number increases to $215. The bond will have to be repaid no later than in 21 years.

The district said the high school building has “many faulty systems that need to be replaced. Building a new school at a different location will allow the school to continue to operate uninterrupted while the new school is being built. The new school will be able to provide students with better technology, safety and greater energy efficiency.”

The plan is to demolish the current building once the new high school is completed and then replace the old swimming pool on the site.

Last August, when Holmes raised the measure publicly, several obvious questions arose.

“How do you propose we pay our tax bill?” – asked one woman. “We have inflation, we have a recession, we have a decrease in wages. North Summit County has a high poverty rate that does not contribute to the tax base. How exactly do you expect us to pay this amount?”

Holmes paused.

“I think it’s a great question, and as I said at the beginning, the last thing the council wants to do is burden anyone with a tax increase,” he said. “Without overstepping my legal boundaries as superintendent, I can assure you that we have not taken this lightly and understand the burden. Do we fully understand what every family goes through? Absolutely not, but we know that raising taxes is a burden.”

But the building was deteriorating, and he wanted every high school student to have a good experience, he said.

“I can assure you that the people on this stage have honestly thought and agonized over your question,” he said. “What we burden you with is a decision. … If we say, “Well, we think this school will last another five years,” that’s great. But there will come a time when a can that gets thrown off the road will have to be picked up.”

Candidates for school board seats generally agreed with the principal.

In response to a question in The Park Record/KPCW ​​about the tax, incumbent candidate Waylon Bond mentioned the bond as a means to better serve students in the district while acknowledging the tax implications.

Other candidates were more direct.

“We desperately need a new high school, and higher taxes are actually the cheapest way to do it,” said candidate Maggie Judy.

“Our high school is old, falling apart and will soon be outgrown,” said incumbent Clark Staley.

“Nobody likes paying taxes, but it is necessary. Someone before me paid for my school,” said incumbent candidate Susan Richins. “Now I need to do this for the next generation.”