This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah's small school districts will be given several more years of flexibility when it comes to spending certain property tax revenues if a bill that passed the House Tuesday becomes law.
HB98, which passed the House 50-24, would allow school districts with fewer than 2,500 students to use proceeds from a property tax meant to pay for construction to instead pay for certain school maintenance and operations costs.
A bill that passed last year already allows all districts to use building fund money for operational needs but only for two years.
HB98 would extend some of that flexibility for another two years, but only to small districts.
"Some of them are still really struggling with the effects of the recession, also the effects of such a small number of students," said bill sponsor Rep. Christine Watkins, D-Price.
But Rep. Wayne Harper, R-West Jordan, who voted against the bill, said it would amount to "raiding" capital accounts.
"I think in the long term it will go through and damage these schools more than it will help," Harper said.
The bill now moves to the Senate.