Opinion
OPINION: ASD board member Bateman urges bond support
Stacy Bateman | Alpine School District Board
Ubuntu is a South African word that means “I am because we are.” One example of this is when an individual in a group is willing to support all the others. When I look back at the history of Alpine School District (ASD), voters have demonstrated ubuntu when they voted in favor of a bond. General obligation bonds are our primary method of raising funds adequate to meet our capital needs.
The success of our community depends on well-educated students. I recognize that there are patrons in different stages of life all over Lehi. Whether you have kids or grandkids in our schools, your children have graduated and moved on, or you have no ties to schools at all, we need you.
The proposed general obligation bond is $595 million. That’s an incredible amount of money, and it will benefit the students and employees in ASD with much-needed new construction to support the rapid growth within our district. Three new elementary schools are slated for Lehi, Saratoga Springs, and Eagle Mountain. A fourth elementary school will be built in a high-growth area. General obligation bonds are voted for by the citizens who live within ASD boundaries. Letting voters decide whether to support this is a strong reason why I support this funding avenue.
ASD has an AAA rating from Moody’s Investor Services and AAA by Fitch Ratings. This rating is similar to a perfect credit score for an individual and means the district can obtain lower interest rates, giving taxpayers significant savings. Additionally, we are often able to pay bonds off in a shorter time period. Bond money can only be used for capital needs, not operations.
In the 2016 bond, Belmont Elementary, Liberty Hills Elementary, and Viewpoint Middle School were constructed in Lehi. The final phases of the Lehi High School rebuild were also completed. You can read the Popular Annual Financial Report on the ASD website under Business Services for more details on capital bonds and debt service.
Lehi is home to outstanding students and staff members. There are amazing, innovative, and creative things happening in our schools every day. We all benefit from a well-educated community, and I hope that when voters fill out their ballots, they will remember Ubuntu – I am because we are.
If you have any questions, please reach out. I would love to talk to you. My email is stacybateman@alpinedistrict.org.
