Provo residents voiced their opinions for and against the Provo School Board adopting the wording for a proposed $35 million bond and leeway for new buildings and maintenance.

The bond will be on ballots in June.

Some residents complained about the vague language of the bond, saying they wanted to see specific dollar amounts for specific projects. However, if the bond was written in such a tight fashion, money designated for future projects may face the wrath of inflation and could be lost if the district's hands are tied with specific wording, Shannon Poulsen, president of the Provo School Board, said.

The wording, which was suggested to the board by its financial advisers, states the bond's purpose is "raising money for purchasing one or more school sites, buildings and furnishings and improving existing school property under the charge of the Board of Education." After taking public comment into consideration, the board decided to slightly change the wording of the bond to include a phrase citing, but not limited to, specific projects such as replacing Timpanogos Elementary School.

This amendment helped settle Celeste Kennard's concerns about how the bond money, if passed, would be distributed throughout the district. She said she is struggling with making "heads or tails of a lot of the district stuff" while she conducts research into what the bond would mean for her family. Her children are in elementary school.

"I want to know that electrical is going to be safe at our school," she said. "Anything I could do to help this, I would be glad to do" as long as the bond included more specifics on how the money would be used.

The bond raised the concern of state Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo. Wondering about why the bond needs to be on ballots in June, Bramble said the board should re-visit why it is moving in such a drastic direction to get the bond passed.

Most voters participate in November elections, he said, so why wouldn't the board want the bond to be voted on by a larger majority of Provo residentsfi

But it doesn't make sense for the board to wait another six months to get the bond passed, Provo Superintendent Randy Merrill said. Waiting would cost an additional $2 million in inflation costs for the construction projects, he said.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A1.