Iron County School District continues to grow. No longer can the district identify itself as a small district. Nearly 15,000 students are educated in grades Pre-K to 12th-grade and beyond. The district is made up of three preschools, nine elementary schools, two middle schools, three high schools and four alternative learning settings.

The district's mission is to support families in developing college and career readiness by BUILDING knowledge, skills and relationships for ALL. With that being said, one way the district develops those attributes is through providing adequate learning environments and access to a variety of opportunities for ALL students. It seeks to make every building and every facility safe and engaging.

To meet this mission and prepare for the future, a bond proposal will be on the Nov. 5 ballot. After the 2023 bond proposal failed by a narrow margin, district administrators and the Board of Education looked at the projects and made some adjustments. Proposed bond projects have been narrowed to two.

Those projects are:

• A new 10th elementary school in the south end of the district — Potential capacity of the new building would be about 650-700 students. The estimated cost is about $36 million.

• A brick and mortar building to house alternative programs, including Launch High and Southwest Education Academy (SEA) — SEA is limited to space in five mobile buildings and can only serve 60 students at any given time. Launch High is a project-based learning model and is limited to about 200 students attending every other day. The proposed building would house SEA, Launch and online programs. It has the potential to double the capacity. Estimated cost is $30 million.

The 2024 bond addresses two of the biggest needs in the district. A new elementary school helps relieve overcrowding in many of our elementary schools. All-day kindergarten and new move-ins have pushed some of our elementary schools over capacity, forcing the use of portables.

Alternative high school options are capped at the number of students who can be accepted in those programs. Both Launch High and SEA have waiting lists. Additionally, SEA is currently housed in multiple mobile units, making it difficult for students to collaborate.

The Board of Education recently adopted the resolution to place the general obligation bond proposal on the ballot Nov. 5.