Carbon School District receives funding from the state of Utah under a program called Necessarily Existing Small Schools. Helper Middle School is grandfathered into this program resulting in approximately $500,000 in state assistance. This program virtually pays for all of the operational costs for Helper Middle School. These funds would be lost if the school was closed.

A new high school would cost well over $80 million with construction costs increasing at a steady rate. This would be a larger burden on the taxpayers. Because the existing structure at Carbon High School is so sound, the new addition along with significant upgrades to the existing building will produce the same effect as building a new school, but at a fraction of the cost.

The needs at our two oldest schools (Helper Middle School and Carbon High School) are significant. If we don't meet these needs through a bond, our limited yearly budget available for the upkeep of facilities will need to be diverted to the two most needy schools. The needs at all the other schools will have to be put on hold while the district addresses the critical needs at two schools. This bond is really a bond for all schools because the bond will allow our regular facilities budget to continue to address the needs at all other schools.