Governor Cox has said several times that “the quality of a child’s education should not be dictated by their zip code.” One of the ways the current governor’s office and the Utah legislature have been trying to fulfill that maxim is by providing state funding for modern school buildings in rural Utah. In 2022 rural Utah legislators, led by rural Representative Brad Last, created the Small Schools Capital Projects Grant. The condition of Wayne High School was referenced on the floor of the house and the senate to get the bill passed.
The legislature recognized that the huge surpluses created by federal stimulus funds would most likely not continue indefinitely and so the grant program was designed to transition into a loan program. In the 2024 legislative session many legislators were prepared to make that transition after just two years. During the session the program was completely removed from the budget and then restored, but with a significant reduction in funding. The instability of the grant funding became apparent in 2023 and Piute County School District began working to participate in the program while it was still funded.
The Small Schools Capital Projects grant requires a local school district to match the state grant funds at varying levels. The match requires specific adjustments to the school district’s local capital levy. Currently, Piute County School District has the lowest school district capital levy of Utah’s 41 school districts at 0.000039.
Piute County School District created two applications for the state grant; the first was to build a consolidated elementary school in Junction and the second was to replace Circleville Elementary. The school district placed the first application on the November 2023 ballot with a general obligation bond to match the grant. Throughout the public meetings the school district explained that if the first application failed, the school district would still have an active application for a new Circleville Elementary. After election day the Utah State Board of Education allowed the school district to revise their first application to be for a new Circleville Elementary and a new Oscarson Elementary. When applications were reviewed, the state funded the application for two new elementary schools.
On January 31st, 2024 Piute County School District received the largest single deposit of funds in county history. The State of Utah sent the school district $18 million for the construction of two new elementary schools. The grant requires that the school district raises the capital levy to 0.00225 in the summer of 2024 and that the school district contributes $5 million to the total project costs. The tax increase will be used to make payments on a $5 million revenue bond to meet grant requirements.
The school district will use the Truth-In-Taxation (TNT) process to raise the capital levy this summer. Most rural courthouses, town community centers, and other public buildings were built using this process. The TNT process requires a public hearing in August and several public notices. Piute County School District will significantly reduce the impact of the tax increase by removing the debt service levy and making the remainder of the payments for the high school bond from cash on hand. The overall effect after increasing the capital levy and eliminating the debt service levy is expected to be an increase of $146 for a primary residence valued at $203,000. The overall increase is expected to be $265 for a business valued at $203,000. For elderly residents on fixed incomes, the state of Utah has a “Circuit Breaker Program” that provides property tax rebates for low income households.
In the spring of 2015 Piute County School District invited VCBO Architects to visit Oscarson Elementary and provide cost estimates for a remodel or replacement of the building. They put the cost of a new Oscarson Elementary at $3.4 million and a renovation at $2.7 million. In VCBO’s analysis they included this statement, “The rule of thumb suggests that if the cost to renovate an existing building is 75% or more of the cost to replace the same building then it is best to plan to replace the facility.” The cost of replacement then was 80% of the cost of a new facility. Since then the cost of construction has risen substantially. It is possible that it would now cost more to renovate Oscarson Elementary than to replace both buildings with the current proposal.
Currently the two Piute County School District elementary schools have a number of issues and concerns. Both schools were built in the 1960’s prior to many building codes. Neither school has proper safety systems such as a fire suppression system or a classroom level safety alert system. Oscarson Elementary has recently been identified by FEMA and the Utah Division of Emergency Management as a school with unreinforced masonry. Both schools fall short on expectations for seismic standards for earthquake safety. There are shortfalls in ADA accommodations. Both schools have an aging infrastructure that would be more expensive to repair. Both schools have old electrical systems that increase potential for accidents or injuries. Both schools contain asbestos materials. Neither school has the standard safe drop-off and pick-up lanes.
In addition to the infrastructural and safety concerns, both buildings fall short in accommodations for standard teaching practices. Typically private Special Education services and individual literacy services are now frequently provided in hallways and old storage spaces. Neither school has a proper library. The new elementary schools will include a library, a Special Education classroom, modern safety designs, and other important components for ensuring the best possible education for our students.
Piute County School District has been given an incredible opportunity to build two new elementary schools. A mailer with information about the elementary schools projects was sent to every Piute County post office box and more detailed information is available on the school district website. The small schools capital projects grant is making possible for students to have access to modern educational facilities regardless of their zip code.
– by Superintendent Koby Willis
Feature image caption: Oscarson Elementary, 1961. Courtesy of Koby Willis/PCSD.
Read more about the new elementary schools in Special Bond Vote Passes for New Elementary Schools in Piute School District.