As Jordan Elementary School Principal Melissa Barnett welcomed the class of 2036 to kindergarten orientation, signs labeled different parts of the school that the district is seeking to renovate if its bond referendum passes.

The elementary school was built in 1976 and last received major renovations when a new wing was built in 2002. As Jordan has grown, the school has tried its best to keep up with the growth, but the school is at a point where drastic changes need to occur.

One of the biggest challenges is the undersized lunchroom. Because of the lack of space, lunch spills over into the auxiliary gym and lasts for three hours, causing scheduling headaches for staff.

Then there’s the classroom design in many parts of the school. The older classrooms in the building often require students and teachers to walk through one classroom to get to another. This causes many disruptions and distractions to the learning environment, as well as safety concerns. Additionally, classrooms are undersized and are not easily adapted to modern learning needs. On top of that are the necessary HVAC changes and upgrades that have been deferred for many years because of the cost.

In addition to space and design constraints, plumbing throughout the school needs to be updated, especially the bathrooms. The elementary school side of the building only has three bathrooms for approximately 775 students, not including the issues and occasional plumbing breakdowns that cause one or more of those bathrooms to be closed at any given time. The adjoining Early Learning Services side of the building does have an additional restroom and two single-stall bathrooms.

Superintendent Ranae Case Evenson said that surveys and community comments are on the same page as the district regarding the basic needs of the school.

“After the survey we did, there were two common themes,” Case Evenson said. “What is your plan for the elementary school — because those needs haven’t gone away — and what is your plan for safe and secure entrances at the high school and elementary school?”

Through those surveys that the school district conducted, school leaders concluded that the $34.99 million that they’re asking for was reasonable. While that number will not cover everything that needs to be addressed, it will help alleviate many of the pressing issues and concerns.

Most of that potential bonding money will go to renovations and expansion of the elementary school. Facilities improvements and a better parking lot design will help the school keep up with Jordan’s projected growth and also keep the school district on one campus as long as possible.

The high school would also get an updated secure entrance. The current secure entrance requires visitors to walk through school common spaces to get to the main office to check in and the district would like to have visitors be able to go directly to the office.

The referendum would cost the average homeowner in Jordan about $30 a month, and the district has a property tax calculator to calculate individual property tax changes, as well as a chart with home prices and tax impacts.

“We want people to call if they have questions, email if they have questions; we’ll be at Celebrate Jordan to answer questions about the referendum, too,” Case Evenson said.

Information about the referendum can be found on the district website under the About Us tab under Referendum 2023. The district also posts updates, information and photos on Thursdays on their social media pages. Absentee voting is currently open at the school district office at 500 Sunset Drive, Suite #1, and will continue until April 11, Election Day.