New high school concerns resident

By MARK NEWMAN Courier staff writer

June 18, 2009 10:51 pm

— BLOOMFIELD — The plan to build a new high school in Davis County took another step forward this week, and that worries at least one taxpayer.
“It’s a real fancy building,” said Ken Turner, the man who led the legal charge against the plan. “It’s Taj Mahal north. One of our fears is there’s going to be cost overruns in all areas.”
This week, Turner withdrew his “request for judgment” to the district using state SILO tax money to build a new facility.
But he still believes local taxpayers could end up footing part of the bill.
Superintendent Sam Miller had previously said there would have to be a very unlikely set of circumstances for that to happen. For example, he said his discussion with state legislators indicated they would not want to retract the funding for construction projects.
Davis County School Board President Marty Owen said legal advice to the board was that federal regulations appear to prohibit states from passing laws that would take away promised money being used to pay off a contract.
But Turner said he feels there are many ways this project could go bad in the current economy and believes voters should go to the polls to decide rather than having the new school “crammed down our throats.”
More expensive versions of the project have been turned down twice by Davis County voters in the past few years. The new, less pricey plan is scheduled to be paid for over time with school income, and the money to do the job was secured via revenue bonds, so no election is required.
Asked if his case against the district had been going badly, Turner said he dropped the case “for strategic reasons I really can’t discuss.” He said he would be within his rights to bring the suit back to court if he wanted.
Other citizens, he said, could bring their own suit, something he implied may very well be in the works. He would not provide details.
School officials said a much-needed new school isn’t a bad thing, and this bonding process is not one to be feared.
“Davis County is not doing anything unique at all,” said Owen, adding several other Iowa school districts are also building with money from revenue bonds, which use the construction project itself and “future revenue” as collateral. “We sold the bonds [Wednesday], and our plan at this point is to proceed with the project.”
But what happens, said Turner, when a problem arises to keep the district from making payments? He said he believes he knows the answer:
“The bonding company will repossess the school buildings! Where will the students go to school if the buildings are repossessed?”
“What would a bonding company want with a high school? To rent it to [our school district]?” responded Owen. “I don’t think that’s realistic.”
As for the accusation the building is designed like a palace, Owen said the blueprints have been available publicly and are not extravagant or excessive.
Contractors have submitted bids.
“We have not accepted a bid [from a builder] yet,” said Owen. “That would be the next step. Hopefully that will be done in the very near future.”