Why I'm Voting No on the 2019 Provo School Bond, Ryan Frandsen

Recently Ryan Frandsen--Provo political junkie and admin of Provo Forward, a supporter of our campaign, posted his thoughts on Provo Forward. We were extremely impressed with his well-written case and had to share it here (with his permission). Check it out:

"My thoughts on the upcoming School Bond election: I’m voting No.

Several years ago when we first bonded to rebuild schools I was among the most vocal supporters. Our school infrastructure had been ignored for far too long and it was time to take action. Wh

ile I generally am someone eager to support education this scenario has too many moving parts that I cannot support on the whole.

There has been a lot of back and forth on this group about the bond. I’ve enjoyed the ability of our community, for the most part, to passionately, yet respectively engage in dialogue. In an issue as complex as this one it is hard to separate emotion from fact. My decision to not support the bond is a mix of the two.

I am frustrated by the timing of this bond. And I appreciate that part of the timing is an act of God. Timpview is sliding. I get it. But I’m not convinced it needs a complete rebuild. The old Provo High for years was repurposed and maintained in a way to maximize its lifespan. If that approach was okay for Provo High, and Dixon, and Wasatch, it’s okay for Timpview.

Doing a full rebuild puts my grandchildren in the same boat we find ourselves in when it comes time to rebuild BOTH schools at the same time. If we don’t learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it. Let’s phase in updates by addressing the most urgent and dangerous needs immediately (see I’m not against school safety).

Beyond Timpview, my decision is impacted by the context of how much we have spent over the last 10 years. We’ve increased fees to pay for roads like the Transportation Utility Fund, bonded for schools, a new city center, and…AND the school board also INCREASED taxes less than a year ago. An increase which I feel surprised many. Not to say it was sneaky in any way, but it certainly slid under the radar and I think the Board was happy it did at the time.

As a conscientious voter I take ALL of those increases and feel obligated to pause for a moment. The needs are real. But so is the impact to family budgets across the city. It’s too bad leaders decades ago kicked the can down the road. I don’t intend to do that either. I’m simply wanting to take more time to consider all the facts and options beyond the immediate emotion-based-fear of impending earthquakes, active shooters, and building implosions.

If nothing more, I would hope this example should encourage our Administration, Council, and School Board to better coordinate and consider ALL the needs of our city rather than the siloed decisions germane to their respective institutions."