In the debate over the new Professional Studies building, that the Park City School District is going to [su_tooltip size=2 position=”north” content=”Our new word for voting again for something that’s already been voted on so that you can make sure the public knows that everyone is totally behind it”][su_highlight]re-iter-vote[/su_highlight][/su_tooltip] on Tuesday, people are asking why they aren’t renovating Treasure Mountain Junior High School instead of constructing a new PC CAPS building.

During Tuesday’s School Board Meeting they included an estimate of the costs to renovate Treasure Mountain in their meeting documentation. It comes in at a cool $28 million.  Currently there is only $18 million in the Capital Fund — or $13 million after the professional studies building gets built.  So, either they know they can’t renovate the building because they don’t have the money or they are just waiting until next year to use the nuclear option and raise money because these kids deserve better than a building that is likely to fall on them at any moment.  Our bet is on the latter.

The only question is whether they use their remaining ability to raise property taxes or whether they’ll go the bond route.  Who are we kidding… Of course it will be the bond. That way they can still raise property taxes later (cue maniacal laugh).  Also, according to Ballotpedia, Utah school district bonds are voted on in each odd numbered year. It just makes too much sense.  Get the new building this year.  By next year, everyone but Leslie Thatcher will have forgotten about this debate, and then the school board spends the next 6 month conditioning us all about the need for a new school.

So look for the school board to start brining up the issue early next spring.  It will build to a frenzy around the cry of “for the kids” and you’ll read the Park Record Editorial telling you to vote for it.  Then we’ll all go to the polls and…who knows.  As is said in the movie Contact with Jodie Foster:

[su_quote]First rule in government spending: why build one when you can have two at twice the price.[/su_quote]

Oh and just think what this could do for Park City’s Building industry.  You read it here first.

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Here is the cost estimate for Treasure Mountain renovations