With 97 percent of the results of Tuesday's election in, Diane Bridge was doing a little dance and carrying on like a teenager. She was also picking out the carpet for her new school.

Provo voters got on board with the school district's plans to put $35 million into school buildings over the next three years and supplement teacher pay.

"This is definitely a victory for our school and Provo because I think everybody in some way or another's going to benefit from this bond," said Bridge, the principal of Timpanogos Elementary, which is deteriorating after serving the community for about 70 years. "We get a new school, but that means money that would have had to go into my school to upgrade it and maintain it can be put in other places."

Provoans gave the district permission to sell $35 million in bonds and levy a $1.5 million annual leeway. The Provo City School District will use the money to build an elementary school in the Lakeview area on Provo's west side and rebuild Timpanogos Elementary. Other projects will include seismic studies on older buildings, remodeling, additions and energy projects at schools across the district, and money for teacher salaries and benefits and to reduce class sizes in high schools.

District staff planned to get to work on plans to spend the money in an 8 a.m. staff meeting today. "It's a lot of work, but it's positive work," said superintendent Randy Merrill.

Voters responded to a plan that was well researched, Merrill said. "We spent a lot of time talking to the public and giving them what they wanted." Parents have been emphatic that they were willing to keep their neighborhood schools, which is what the money will accomplish, he said.

Board of Education President Shannon Poulsen said Provoans came through for children. "It's improvement for children. It's improvement for neighborhoods. It's improvement for the city as a whole."

Poulsen said voters got a chance to shape the district's facilities master plan process. "I'm glad we did it the way we did because we can honestly say, 'We've done everything we can. Now we need the voters' help,' and the voters came through for us today."

Board member Richard Sheffield acknowledged the lack of public faith in the board in the past and said the voters' approval presents an opportunity for the board. "We will work to maintain the trust that has been shown with this election and use the funds wisely and prudently."

Dean Sanpei, a critic of the district's plan, said he's disappointed with the result, but the democratic process did its job. He said he would like to see the state Legislature take up the issue of such issues being decided during primary elections, when voter turnout is low. "If there's a large constituency out there who didn't want the tax increase but didn't show up, we all live with the outcome of the election."

Anna Chang-Yen can be reached at 344-2549 or annac@heraldextra.com.

$35 million bond

Total votes: 8,187

YES 5,672 69.28%

NO 2,515 30.72%

Leeway

Total Votes 8,140

YES 4,562 56.04%

NO 3,578 43.96%

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A5.