The Millard school board boosted the district's proposed bond issue to $140.8 million Tuesday night, adding artificial turf practice fields for Millard North and Millard West High Schools.
The board voted 5-1 to add the fields to what had been a utilitarian package of school repairs, classroom additions, technology and security upgrades.
The board then voted by the same split to set a mail-in referendum on the bond issue for Nov. 15 — the first-ever mail-in election for the district and the state's largest.
The fields add $3.2 million to the package and also a bit of controversy.
Board member Mike Pate opposed adding the fields, saying that it was "irresponsible" during poor economic times and that the board should stick to essential purchases.
"It's always easy to spend other people's money," Pate said.
The majority of board members, however, said the artificial surfaces would provide safe and weather-proof practice fields for student athletes, marching band members and physical education classes.
Voting in favor were Mike Kennedy, Dave Anderson, Linda Poole, Patrick Ricketts and Todd Clarke.
Kennedy said the turf wasn't his top priority in the package but it would be "money well spent."
Millard West and Millard North are two of the biggest high schools in the metro area and their grass fields are used extensively, he said. Snow cover last winter delayed their use because of concern that clearing snow might damage the grass, he said.
Vicky Marquardt, the head of the physical education department at Millard North High, told board members the grass practice fields at her school, worn and divoted by athletes and marching band members, reminded her of "a cow field."
"Our facility at Millard North, I can't say it's safe," she said.
The condition of the grass fields forces P.E. teachers to get creative, Marquardt said.
"We end up playing football sometimes on our tennis courts," she said.
Dave Anderson, the board president, said he was concerned about the message a split board would send the community about the referendum, but he said adding the turf was "positive."
Board members said that Millard South students already have access to the artificial surface at Lyle Buell Stadium, located adjacent to the school.
Paul Meyer, a retired corporate safety director for a trucking firm, spoke against the bond issue.
Meyer called it "a giant wish list" that would increase taxes and burden retirees.
The bond issue would add an estimated 1.5 cents to the property tax levy, costing the owner of a house valued at $150,000 about $22.50 more a year.
If approved by voters, half of the 20-year bonds — $70 million — would be issued next year. The other half would be issued in 2015.
Millard voters have passed 13 consecutive school bond issues since the 1950s; the largest was $89 million in 1997. The last bond issue, $78 million in 2005, was approved by 56.5 percent of voters. It paid for three new schools, renovations at five buildings and new technology.
Also on Tuesday, board members approved a $210.7 million budget for the 2011-12 fiscal year. The budget keeps Millard's property tax rate at $1.21 per $100 of valuation for a fifth straight year.
Contact the writer: 402-444-1077, joe.dejka@owh.com
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