Seventy-four North Summit High School seniors took the stage on Monday night, celebrating with teachers, administrators and family members as they accepted their diplomas and said farewell to their fellow Braves.

“I’ve had four years to figure out what it actually means to be a North Summit Brave,” said Emma Jasenovic, the Class of 2026’s valedictorian. “For a long time, I thought it just meant having a high tolerance for subzero temperatures at football games and wearing spirited amounts of purple and gold … but due to the things we’ve experienced together and the people we’ve become, I know being a Brave is not only about the colors you wear, but also about how you inspire those around you.”

Jasenovic and a handful of other students, including co-salutatorians Mylee Wilde and Bradley Woolstenhulme, offered advice and encouragement to their class as the tight-knit group heads separate ways this summer.

“The world out there is big, and it’s pretty intimidating,” Jasenovic said. “It doesn’t always have the close community that we’ve grown used to, but because we grew up here, we carry something that others don’t: the knowledge that no one succeeds alone. As we head out into the future, I know that we will continue to live our lives with (a) Brave spirit.”

Seniors selected Austin Richins, a 2016 North Summit High School graduate who now teaches history, to give the commencement speech this year. He joked that his speech was the last time the group would need to take notes in his class, encouraging them to continue learning and remaining curious about the world around them as they take their next steps into adulthood.

“We are all part of a larger society, and our work is our contribution to a free and safe life for all,” Richins said. “All of you, all of us, are part of things much bigger than ourselves. There is so much good in our world. Look for opportunities throughout your life to help continuously make the world a better place for everyone.”

Richins also told the graduating class to actively choose happiness, sharing bits and pieces of advice he’d learned from “The Happiest Man on Earth,” a memoir written by Eddie Jaku. Jaku survived seven years in German concentration camps during the Holocaust, and his memoir was published in 2021 when he was 100 years old.

Richins said Jaku’s memoir spoke about his time living under Nazi occupation, but it also provided insight into Jaku’s mind afterward and how he was able to lead a fulfilling, happy life despite the trauma he experienced.

“He was imprisoned, beaten, starved, attacked by a dog, shot in the leg, and many times when there seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel, he continued,” Richins said. “He lived in a nightmare for years. I’m sure there were days he did not want to keep going, days that felt too hard, but he kept getting up. He kept forming new friendships. He worked on new skills and showed others his values. He had hope. When life starts to feel too hard, keep going. Remember to have hope.”

North Summit High School Principal Devin Smith similarly pushed the class to stay positive and believe things will work out for the best when life gets tough, saying the person they grow into matters far more than the problems they face along the way.

“Success is … choosing to keep moving forward,” Smith said. “I’ve watched students overcome challenges quietly. I’ve watched you recover from failure, disappointment, heartbreak, pressure and self-doubt. Tonight, as I look out at this graduating class, I don’t just see students who earned diplomas. I see future fathers and mothers, future business owners, teachers, coaches, tradesmen, nurses, missionaries, leaders, good neighbors, good citizens and good people.”

The post North Summit High School Class of 2026 reflects on what it means to be a Brave appeared first on Park Record.

The North Summit school board is partnering with a consulting firm that specializes in emergency preparedness to conduct a building assessment of North Summit High School. The move is the latest in the district’s attempts to convince community members of the need for a new high school.

Board members last week unanimously approved an agreement with IEM International, one of three companies that responded to the district’s request for proposal. North Summit Business Administrator Marci Sargent recommended IEM International over the other two companies because of its competitive price point.

Sargent said the study, which includes a full assessment of the building and a seismic analysis, would typically cost $200,000 or more. However, IEM had already obtained grant funding through the Utah Direct Technical Assistance program, which is managed by the state and focuses on supporting “disaster damage reduction, community resilience building and successful mitigation programs.”

The grant funding means the school district will not be financially responsible for the study, and Sargent estimated the partnership with IEM International is saving the district between $170,000 and $200,000.

IEM International also has experience applying for federal grants and is committed to helping the district obtain monetary assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency if possible, Sargent added.

The school board did not provide information on when the study will be completed.

The in-depth assessment of North Summit High School follows public outcry over the school board’s repeated attempts to pass a general obligation bond to fund the construction of a new school.

Voters opposed the general obligation bond in 2024 and 2025, and the school board proposed a $125 million lease revenue bond in response after the second defeat last November. The lease revenue bond had a higher interest rate than the general obligation bond, but it did not require voters’ approval.

However, North Summit residents successfully gathered enough signatures under state law to force the school board to place the lease revenue bond on the ballot in 2026. The school board instead opted to drop the lease revenue bond proposal in favor of finding another solution.

Walter Brock, one of the residents who spearheaded the petition effort, previously said his goal wasn’t necessarily to have voters shoot down the bond measure for a third time. Instead, he said he wanted to delay the issuance of funds to give the school board and North Summit residents time to explore alternatives, including obtaining bids and further analysis from third-party companies.

He said he wasn’t staunchly against the idea of a new school but that he viewed the North Summit community as wary of the board’s insistence that the only solution is an entirely new building with state-of-the-art facilities. He said residents had questions about construction costs and requested documents regarding reports that the current building is unsafe, but they were left feeling ignored.

North Summit High School was built in 1977 and hasn’t had any substantial modifications since its original construction. District officials have repeatedly said there are structural issues with the building that make the school potentially unsafe for students, especially if the area were to experience a major earthquake.

The post Consulting firm to conduct building assessment, seismic study of North Summit High School appeared first on Park Record.

The North Summit school board may place a general obligation bond on the November ballot for the third year in a row after residents successfully gathered enough signatures to trigger a vote on a multimillion dollar lease revenue bond.

North Summit Business Administrator Marci Sargent on Wednesday confirmed petitioners met their goal of obtaining 771 verified signatures from registered voters living within the school district’s boundaries.

Walter Brock, one of the residents spearheading the petition effort, in early January said his group gathered 1,090 signatures. The Utah Lieutenant Governor’s Office, which publicly posts the names of those who signed the petition online, reported a total of 957 verified signatures as of Wednesday, well above the 771-signature threshold.

The petition’s success would have led to the $125 million lease revenue bond being placed on the Election Day ballot, but Sargent said the school board is now considering pivoting back to a general obligation bond. General obligation bonds already require voter approval, and it would be a better financial choice for the district.

“Putting a lease revenue bond on the ballot does not make sense when a general obligation bond would be a better interest rate,” Sargent said. “The school board and district personnel are taking some time to figure out the best next steps and how best to move forward to get the citizens to support a bond.”

It is currently unclear whether the district plans to still pursue the lease revenue bond, which would be required to appear on the ballot because of the petition, or if it will be abandoned entirely in favor of a general obligation bond. Previously, the district shifted to a lease revenue bond because voters declined to pass a general obligation bond two years in a row.

State law allows constituents to contest the issuance of a bond if they are able to submit a petition with signatures from at least 20% of the active voter base to the Summit County Clerk’s Office within 30 days of the bond’s passing. With the North Summit petition specifically, community members were trying to gather 771 signatures by Jan. 9.

Brock previously said the goal of the petition wasn’t necessarily to have voters shoot down the bond measure for a third time. Instead, he said he wanted to delay the issuance of the funds to give the school board and North Summit residents time to explore alternatives, including obtaining bids and further analysis from other third-party companies.

He said he wasn’t staunchly against the idea of a new school, but he viewed the North Summit community as wary of the board’s insistence that the only solution is an entirely new building with state-of-the-art facilities. He said residents have questions about construction costs and requested documents regarding reports that the current North Summit High School building is unsafe, but they’ve been left feeling ignored.

Vern Williams, president of the North Summit school board, in late December said the board isn’t legally allowed to comment on the petition, but he pointed to previous discussions on school safety and the rising cost of construction materials.

“Over the past four or five years, we have collected figures on the needed upgrades to make the building safe for our students and make necessary repairs that will be required by the state,” Williams said. “We have put hundreds of thousands of dollars into prolonging the life of the mechanical systems. Professionals have been through the school to give their opinions on the best way to solve the problems. To bring it up to code will cost nearly the same as a new building.”

Williams said information on the board’s reasoning has been shared frequently in school board meetings and public hearings, which were “not well attended.”

“We will be willing to continue to discuss these needs with anyone that would like to meet with district personnel,” he said.

North Summit High School was built in 1977 and hasn’t had any substantial modifications since its original construction. District officials have repeatedly said there are structural issues with the building that make the school potentially unsafe for students, especially if the area were to experience a major earthquake.

However, voters in 2024 and 2025 shot down the district’s attempts to pass a multimillion dollar general obligation bond to fund the project. In response, the school board proposed a $125 million lease revenue bond, which had a higher interest rate but did not require voter approval — until the successful petition initiative this month.

The school board unanimously passed the lease revenue bond in December at a public hearing where more than 20 people spoke against the move. The speakers expressed frustration over the district’s continued pursuit of the funds, as well as general economic concerns, including whether the bond would affect housing costs and potentially price more families out of the area.

The post Petition opposing North Summit School District bond meets signature requirements appeared first on Park Record.

North Summit residents attempting to place the local school board’s multimillion dollar lease revenue bond on the 2026 ballot are confident they met their signature gathering goal in time.

State law allows constituents to contest the issuance of a bond if they are able to submit a petition with signatures from at least 20% of the active voter base to the Summit County Clerk’s Office within 30 days of the bond’s passing. If the signature threshold is met, the bond is then placed on the ballot for voters to decide, meaning North Summit residents could potentially vote on — and reject — the bond measure for a third year in a row.

With the North Summit petition specifically, community members said they were attempting to gather 771 signatures by Friday.

“It went exceptionally well,” said Walter Brock, one of the residents spearheading the petition. “We had 1,090 unique signatures, which I believe is more than the number of ‘no’ votes from the last general election, which is pretty amazing.”

Brock said he was especially pleased with the petition efforts, too, because of the wider conversation the process has sparked in the North Summit community.

“I think that’s going to be the biggest win,” he said. “We’re seeing lots of neighbors having good communication, engaging in dialogue and seeing if we can find common ground and opportunities to improve the plan.”

Brock and other petition supporters handed their packets to the local building authority on Saturday, as outlined by state law. The building authority, which was created by the North Summit Board of Education last year to issue lease revenue bonds, then turned the packets into the Summit County Clerk’s Office on Monday.

The Clerk’s Office will have 21 days to verify the included signatures, which will be publicly posted on the Utah Lieutenant Governor’s Office’s website. The petition will then be sent back to the building authority and North Summit Business Administrator Marci Sargent.

Summit County Clerk Eve Furse said the law allowing petitions to contest bond issuances was only created within the last two years, which means there’s a bit of a learning curve for both the school district and the clerk. Sargent on Tuesday said she expects the process to be similar to how the board certifies election results, but more information will be available closer to the 21-day deadline for the Clerk’s Office’s verification results.

Brock said the learning curve was difficult for residents, too.

“If there’s anybody else interested in doing a petition or who wants a better understanding before they jump in, definitely reach out,” he said. “Sadly, you don’t know anything about a petition until you want to do it, and then it’s like drinking from a fire hose, so I think some collaboration among citizens who are anxious to support each other in defending their constitutional rights would be great.”

Brock previously said the goal of the petition wasn’t necessarily to have voters shoot down the bond measure for a third time. Instead, he said he wanted to delay the issuance of the funds to give the school board and North Summit residents time to explore alternatives, including obtaining bids and further analysis from other third-party companies.

He said he wasn’t staunchly against the idea of a new school, but he viewed the North Summit community as wary of the board’s insistence that the only solution is an entirely new building with state-of-the-art facilities. He said residents have asked questions about construction costs and requested documents regarding reports that the current North Summit High School building is unsafe, but they’ve been left feeling ignored.

North Summit School Board President Vern Williams said in late December that the board isn’t legally allowed to comment on the petition, but he pointed to previous discussions on school safety and the rising cost of construction materials.

“Over the past four or five years, we have collected figures on the needed upgrades to make the building safe for our students and make necessary repairs that will be required by the state,” Williams said in an email. “We have put hundreds of thousands of dollars into prolonging the life of the mechanical systems. Professionals have been through the school to give their opinions on the best way to solve the problems. To bring it up to code will cost nearly the same as a new building.”

Williams said information on the board’s reasoning has been shared frequently in school board meetings and public hearings, which were “not well attended.”

“We will be willing to continue to discuss these needs with anyone that would like to meet with district personnel,” he said.

Furse said the bond measure would most likely appear on the November ballot if the petition meets the signature threshold. However, she said there’s also a chance it could spur a special election in June instead, “depending on timing.”

North Summit High School was built in 1977 and hasn’t had any major modifications since its original construction. District officials told the public in 2024 that reinvesting in the current structure would be more costly than building a new school.

However, voters in 2024 and 2025 shot down the district’s attempts to pass a multimillion dollar general obligation bond to fund the project. In response, the school board proposed a $125 million lease revenue bond, which has a higher interest rate but does not require voter approval.

The school board unanimously passed the lease revenue bond in early December at a public hearing where more than 20 people spoke against the move. The speakers expressed frustration over the district’s continued pursuit of the funds, as well as general economic concerns, including whether the bond would affect housing costs and potentially price more families out of the area.

The post North Summit residents confident in number of signatures collected for petition opposing multimillion bond appeared first on Park Record.

North Summit residents are making one final push to oppose the local school board’s decision to greenlight a multimillion dollar lease revenue bond by circulating a petition demanding the bond be placed on the 2026 ballot.

State law allows constituents to contest the issuance of a bond if they are able to submit a petition with signatures from at least 20% of the active voter base to the Summit County Clerk’s Office within 30 days of the bond’s passing. If the signature threshold is met, the bond is then placed on the ballot for voters to decide, meaning North Summit residents could potentially vote on — and reject — the bond measure for a third year in a row.

With the North Summit petition specifically, community members are attempting to gather 771 signatures by Jan. 2.

“I feel, and many others have voiced the same thing, that there has been insufficient rigor and investigation into keeping and remediating the current school or alternatives aside from the proposed massive spend that’s being specified in this lease obligation bond,” said Walter Brock, one of the residents spearheading the petition.

Brock isn’t staunchly against the idea of a new school, but he said the North Summit community is wary of the school board’s insistence that the only solution is an entirely new building with state-of-the-art facilities. He said residents have asked questions about construction costs and requested documentation regarding reports that the current North Summit High School building is unsafe, but they’ve been left feeling ignored.

“There’s a big feeling that there’s just a refusal to answer questions,” Brock said. “Many people have asked about the underutilization of the building, the growth claims that aren’t substantiated and the lack of transparency in decision making. Why not retrofit? What are the costs?”

Brock said the goal of the petition isn’t to necessarily have voters shoot down the bond measure for a third time. Instead, he said he wants to delay the issuance of the funds to give the school board and North Summit residents time to explore alternatives, including obtaining bids and further analysis from other third-party companies.

“I want to logically make a decision,” Brock said. “If the evidence supports it, I support it … but there is a significant lack of rigor and evidence that supports (this) decision, which is why I’m very much adamantly opposed to it. I would love to have these conversations. I want to have a community committee so we can talk about it.”

North Summit School Board President Vern Williams said the board isn’t legally allowed to comment on the petition, but he pointed to previous discussions on school safety and the rising cost of construction materials.

“Over the past four or five years, we have collected figures on the needed upgrades to make the building safe for our students and make necessary repairs that will be required by the state,” Williams said in an emailed statement. “We have put hundreds of thousands of dollars into prolonging the life of the mechanical systems. Professionals have been through the school to give their opinions on the best way to solve the problems. To bring it up to code will cost nearly the same as a new building.”

Williams said information on the board’s reasoning has been shared frequently in school board meetings and public hearings, which were “not well attended.”

“We will be willing to continue to discuss these needs with anyone that would like to meet with district personnel,” he added.

Summit County Clerk Eve Furse said the bond measure would most likely appear on the November 2026 ballot if the petition meets the signature threshold. However, she said there’s also a chance it could spur a special election in June 2026 instead “depending on timing.”

Brock said 505 signatures had been gathered by Monday afternoon, and he encouraged anyone interested in signing the petition to reach out to organizers by emailing nshsbondpetition@gmail.com.

“We want to vote, like we have twice, on this and be able to come up with a holistic community effort to get the right decision,” Brock said. “This isn’t about school, yes or no. This isn’t about kids, yes or no. This is about being comfortable with amortization and putting a quarter of a billion dollars into a very detailed, beautiful, highly architected, extremely expensive per student building.”

North Summit High School was built in 1977 and hasn’t had any major modifications since its original construction. District officials told the public in 2024 that reinvesting in the current structure would be more costly than building a new school.

However, voters in 2024 and 2025 shot down the district’s attempts to pass a multimillion dollar general obligation bond to fund the project. In response, the school board proposed a $125 million lease revenue bond, which has a higher interest rate but does not require voter approval.

The school board unanimously passed the lease revenue bond in early December after more than 20 people spoke against the move during a public hearing. The speakers expressed frustration over the district’s continued pursuit of the funds, as well as general economic concerns, including whether the bond would affect housing costs and potentially price more families out of the area.

The post Community-led petition aims to place North Summit bond on ballot for third year in a row appeared first on Park Record.

The North Summit School Board unanimously voted in favor of a $125 million bond to fund the construction of a new high school despite widespread community opposition and two failed ballot measures.

“It was based on the safety of our kids,” explained Board President Vern Williams. “There have been numerous evaluations done. … I understand deeply what we’ve been talking about here, and it’s a decision that’s been a hard one.”

North Summit High School hasn’t had any major modifications since its construction in 1977, and district officials told the public last year that reinvesting in the current structure would be more costly than building a new school.

However, voters in 2024 and 2025 shot down the district’s attempts to pass a multi-million dollar general obligation bond to fund the project. In response, the school board proposed a $125 million lease revenue bond, which has a higher interest rate but does not require voter approval.

More than 20 people spoke against the lease revenue bond at a public hearing before the school board’s vote on Wednesday. They expressed frustration over the district’s continued pursuit of the funds, as well as general economic concerns about how the move would affect housing costs and potentially price more families out of the area.

Micheax Brock, one of the first speakers to take to the podium, in a tearful exchange said she understood the school board is in a tough position, but the economic strain would be too much for locals, especially those who have lived in Coalville and Henefer for generations.

“We live in the most expensive county in Utah,” she said. “I notice people wanting to move back here, but they can’t afford land or a home here. I notice people from other states moving here that are older with no school-aged children. I notice families that move here who do have kids and a lot of them homeschool. I’ve noticed large families moving away because of how expensive it is.”

Brock urged the school board to reinvest funds in the current North Summit High School building instead, calling it a “blessing” and asking the district to consider needs, not wants. Multiple other commenters throughout the night echoed the same sentiment, voicing worries about the district’s perceived emphasis on growth and the facility’s capacity.

“During the school year for 2024, high school enrollment dropped to 328 students,” said Kurt Goodman, a former North Summit School District employee. “For decades, enrollment has remained essentially flat. … The existing school’s 550-student capacity, which is only at 59% of full capacity, will not be utilized for many years.”

Most speakers agreed with Goodman’s assessment, pointing out declining enrollments in both the North Summit School District and Park City School District, which recently opened enrollment to students outside its boundaries to bolster its numbers. They also said general population projections for Summit County suggest the area will start to lose residents, with many offering personal stories of friends being priced out of the Wasatch Back.

“When I see the cost of new construction, I expect many of the buyers will be retirees, second homeowners or real estate investors,” wrote Dick Stoner, who was unable to attend the public hearing but penned a letter to the school board in advance. “There are few, if any, local jobs that would pay enough to afford new construction. It also seems that a huge influx of new students will be limited and slow in coming. Any affluent homeowner with children would also look to vouchers to send students to Park City public or private schools, thereby creating the same issue Park City is dealing with now.”

Residents said they opposed the scope of the new high school, too. A handful of constituents said they would be more in favor of the proposal if it didn’t include the construction of a new football field and community swimming pool. Instead, they suggested downscaling the high school and continuing to use the existing recreational facilities, with a potential bus service to shuffle kids back and forth from practice after school.

However, not everyone in the crowd was against the bond.

Lanae Ritzman, who works as a librarian and English teacher at North Summit High School, took to the podium to describe the conditions her students face every day, including temperatures between 86 and 90 degrees during the hotter months. She said the lack of heating and air conditioning in the building is one of her biggest challenges because it affects students’ ability to concentrate.

“The cement building sucks in the heat and doesn’t let it go,” Ritzman said. “I stood in front of my class embarrassed because I was dripping down the front and dripping down the back. That wasn’t one or two days. That was from the start of school all the way through September and well into October before the building cooled off enough that we could sit in our classrooms and feel comfortable. I don’t know how that is acceptable for your children or for us as teachers.”

Ritzman said she ended up paying for fans out of her own pocket to hand out to students, saying it was obvious they were “miserable.”

Four others also expressed their support of the bond, saying they wanted to give back to future generations of the North Summit community. Kelly Ovard, one of the four pro-bond speakers, added that he viewed the building as dilapidated when he attended the school in the 1980s, despite it only being around 10 years old at the time.

“This was going to happen,” Ovard said about the lease revenue bond. “It wasn’t a matter of ‘if,’ dependent on what the voters wanted. It’s what’s needed, and it is needed. Could we wait five years? Well, we waited one year, and now it’s cost us $14 million more. If we wait five years, it could be another $50 or $60 million more. Buy it all at once and get it done.”

The school board unanimously passed the resolution adopting the $125 million lease revenue bond after the public hearing. The debt will be paid off over 31 years, and the district estimated it will pay $7.9 million annually as part of its repayment efforts.

The first general obligation bond in 2024 was for $114 million compared to the $121 million proposal shot down by voters in 2025. School officials previously said the increase was due to inflation and that the lease revenue bond would be a larger amount for the same reason.

The post North Summit School District passes $125 million bond to fund high school construction appeared first on Park Record.

The North Summit School Board intends to pursue a multi-million dollar bond to fund the construction of a new high school. But instead of placing a proposal on next year’s ballot for a third consecutive year, the school board has landed on a different solution — one that does not require voters’ approval.

North Summit High School hasn’t had any major modifications since its construction in 1977, and district officials told the public last year that reinvesting in the current structure would be more costly than building a new school.

However, voters in 2024 and 2025 shot down the district’s attempts to pass a multi-million dollar general obligation bond to fund the project. Now, the school district is revisiting the idea of a lease-revenue bond, a similar funding mechanism with a higher interest rate.

Unlike general obligation bonds, though, lease revenue bonds do not require a vote from constituents, which effectively gives the school board discretion on whether to engage in the bonding process as long as all other legal requirements are followed.

The North Summit School Board specifically is considering a $125 million lease revenue bond to be paid back over 31 years. Information on the interest rate was not readily available as of Thursday afternoon, but the district estimated it would pay $7.9 million annually as part of its repayment efforts.

“Our youth are our future, and it’s pretty hard to put a price on that,” said North Summit School Board member Vern Williams. “I know it’s going to be a hardship for everyone. We all pay taxes. … Somebody did it for me, and hopefully we can do it for them.”

The first general obligation bond in 2024 was for $114 million compared to this year’s proposal for $121 million. School officials previously said the increase was due to inflation and that the lease revenue bond amount would likely be even higher for the same reason.

The school board unanimously voted on Tuesday to alert the public to its intent to pursue the bond, with a final vote tentatively scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 3. Community members will have the chance to speak on the proposal during a public hearing on the same day as the vote. 

Residents earlier this year told the school board they were not supportive of a lease revenue bond after the first general obligation bond attempt failed. They asked the district to respect voters’ decision, saying it felt as if the school board were disregarding the Election Day ballot and proceeding with construction regardless of public opinion.

The post North Summit School District pursues $125 million bond that doesn’t require voter approval appeared first on Park Record.

North Summit residents rejected a multi-million dollar bond to fund the construction of a new high school for a second year, leaving district officials to consider other revenue sources to address its “most pressing facility issues.”

The $121 million bond measure saw 1,062 votes against it, representing 54% of the ballots — a small decrease in opposition from last year — according to preliminary election results. The North Summit School District’s $114 million bond also fell short in 2024, receiving 56% “no” votes.

“We’re certainly disappointed that the bond did not pass. Our community had an important decision to make and we acknowledge that outcome,” said Superintendent Wade Murdock.

However, Murdock emphasized that the needs that led the district to propose the bond haven’t gone away. North Summit High School was built in 1977 and hasn’t received any major improvements in almost 50 years. The high school has been described as worn out and inefficient, with a wide range of construction needs, including a new roof.

“Our students and staff still deserve safe, modern and effective learning spaces,” he added.

District officials previously said that reinvesting in the current structure would be more costly than building something new. That’s when the first $114 million bond was proposed. A majority of voters opposed that bond due to concerns about increased property taxes, inflation, poverty levels and other economic issues — the same criticisms driving opposition now.

The $121 million general obligation bond would have increased property taxes by $123 per year for every $100,000 in assessed value. For businesses or secondary residences, the cost would have been an additional $224 per year.

Murdock said the school board will take time to review the elections and determine the best path forward. That will likely include exploring a lease revenue bond as an alternative.

District officials considered a lease revenue bond after the first ballot measure failed. A lease revenue bond has a higher interest rate than a general obligation bond and does not require voter approval. North Summit residents were also unhappy with that proposal, though, and saw it as a way to circumvent the will of voters.

In January, the school board formed a local building authority, which would help the school district pay for construction projects. Members said its formation was not necessarily correlated with building a new high school, but it was the only project being considered at the time.

It’s not uncommon for school districts to form a local building authority to help with infrastructure projects. It’s a public entity and an extension of the district, with school board members essentially becoming its board of trustees. A local building authority can issue bonds as well as own, lease and mortgage property. The purpose is to construct, acquire, improve, extend and finance projects on behalf of the school district, according to Marci Sargent, the district’s business administrator.

While the general obligation bond would have set a tax levy on property owners, lease revenue bonds are funded through other sources, such as taxes the district already receives.

“We remain committed to working together with our community to ensure our schools continue to provide the high-quality education our students deserve,” Murdock said.

The post North Summit School District faces tough choices after bond is defeated again appeared first on Park Record.

The North Summit School District’s attempt to pass a $121 million general obligation bond to replace its aging high school seems poised to fail, based on preliminary election results.

The ballot measure appeared to be losing, with 940 “no” votes and 775 “yes” votes, or 54.81% of the total votes cast.

North Summit High School was built in 1977 and hasn’t had any major modifications to the building since its original construction. District officials told the public last year that reinvesting in the current structure would be more costly than building a new high school, and the school board proposed a $114 million obligation bond to fund the project last year.

In 2024, 56% of North Summit voters opposed the idea, with many community members citing increased property taxes, inflation, poverty levels and other economic concerns during public hearings.

The district briefly considered a lease revenue bond instead, which has a higher interest rate than a general obligation bond and does not require voters’ approval. Many were unhappy with the proposed solution, though, and criticized the school board for persisting in its efforts to pass a bond measure after voters had already shot it down.

The school board in August unanimously decided to place a $121 million general obligation bond on the Election Day ballot, hoping voters would be more amenable to the bond measure the second time around. Business Administrator Marci Sargent had previously estimated an increase in the bond amount if the district were to pursue it again because of rising construction costs and interest rates.

Under current market conditions, the $121 million general obligation bond would add $123 per year for every $100,000 in home value assessed for taxes involving a primary residence. For businesses or secondary residences, the cost would be an additional $224 per year.

The school board has not publicly discussed alternative funding solutions, including whether to pursue a lease revenue bond again, if the bond measure were to fail a second time.

The post Voters reject North Summit High School bond for second year in a row appeared first on Park Record.

North Summit School District’s former superintendent is advocating for the school board’s proposed multi-million dollar general obligation bond to build a new high school, citing concerns about future growth and the safety of the current building.

Jerre Holmes retired at the end of the 2024-25 school year after 25 years leading the district. He is still involved in the campus community through his work as the North Summit High School football team’s head coach.

Holmes was the first person to approach the microphone during a sparsely attended public hearing on the $121 million bond measure on Wednesday. He complimented the board for continuing to pursue a solution for the current high school’s failing infrastructure and emphasized the importance of prioritizing students’ needs.

“There’s only one reason not to build a new building, and that’s because we don’t want higher taxes, … But there are too many other reasons why we need to,” he said. “The roof system in this building is way too heavy for the walls because they’re unreinforced, and I don’t think any of you want to roll the dice.”

Holmes said there have been earthquakes in Wasatch County and Duchesne County in recent years, calling it “only a matter of time” before Summit County has one.

“The building is worn out, and it’s cost us a lot of money over the past several years,” he added. “It has become very inefficient, and we’re dumping a lot of money into this. It needs a whole new roof, and to do that would cost a lot of money, and it would only last for however many years it will be until this building is condemned. I don’t believe it would pass a safety inspection right now based on the code.”

He argued against retrofitting the building, too, pointing out the disruption to students’ education if the district were to move classes into portable structures to allow for construction work in the building.

“I don’t know anybody in this room or in this school district who would want their kid who’s in high school, especially a senior, to have to have their last year of high school in a modular (classroom),” Holmes said.

As for potential growth in the district’s student population, Holmes said it’s difficult to predict exact numbers, but there’s only one unoccupied classroom in the building. That means not every subject has room to expand if the district needs to add extra classes to accommodate more students.

“Most of all, the reason to do it is because it’s right for the kids,” Holmes said. “You’re going to face the scrutiny of it all, and I applaud you because you are standing up for all kids.”

Holmes was one of three people who spoke during the public hearing, all of whom were in favor of the bond and thanked the school board for recognizing the need for a new building. The other speakers voiced similar concerns about safety, as well as the increasing cost of construction if the project is delayed further.

“This auditorium should be full of parents, grandparents and concerned citizens who want to do what’s right,” said Karen Pace, decrying the low turnout. “No one wants another tax bill, but we owe it to the next generation of students.”

Pace said she did not want the school board to need to make a “hard decision” in the future if passing the general obligation bond now would resolve the issue and allow the district to start construction efforts on a safer school with updated facilities.

“I will be voting for this bond, and the board needs to be commended for all their hard work that they have put in,” she said.

North Summit High School was built in 1977 and hasn’t had any major modifications to the building since its original construction. District officials told the public last year that reinvesting in the current structure would be more costly than building a new high school, and the school board proposed a $114 million general obligation bond to fund the project.

However, 56% of North Summit voters opposed the idea last Election Day, with many community members citing increased property taxes, inflation, poverty levels and other economic concerns during public hearings.

The district briefly reconsidered a lease revenue bond instead, which has a higher interest rate than a general obligation bond and does not require voters’ approval. Community members were unhappy with the proposed solution, though, and criticized the school board for persisting in its efforts to pass a bond measure after voters had already shot it down.

The school board in August then unanimously voted to place a $121 million general obligation bond on the Election Day ballot, hoping voters would be more amenable to the bond measure the second time around. Business Administrator Marci Sargent had previously estimated an increase in the bond amount if the district were to pursue it again because of rising construction costs and interest rates.

Under current market conditions, the $121 million general obligation bond would add $123 per year for every $100,000 in home value assessed for taxes involving a primary residence. For businesses or secondary residences, the cost would be an additional $224 per year.

The post Former North Summit superintendent advocates for high school bond measure appeared first on Park Record.