Of the 1,090 signatures petitioners say they gathered, the Summit County Clerk’s Office verified at least 957.
North Summit School District officials say that’s enough to force a vote on controversial bonds to finance a new high school in November 2026.
The school board unilaterally approved $125 million in bonds last year after they failed to pass in both the 2024 and 2025 elections.
The bonds, called “lease revenue bonds,” carry higher interest rates than general obligation bonds, which require voter approval. Both would ultimately get paid back with property taxes.
As things stand, North Summit School District voters will be deciding whether to block education leaders from issuing the lease revenue bonds.
But Superintendent Wade Murdock told KPCW the school board could opt to put the potentially cheaper general obligation bonds up for a vote.
It could be a chance to get lower interest rate financing, but he says the school board hasn’t decided if that's the best course of action. The next board meeting is Feb. 11.
School board members originally issued bonds for a new North Summit High School and sports facilities primarily for safety reasons. They’re concerned about the five-decade-old high school withstanding earthquakes, for example.
Opponents did not want to see their tax bill go up, citing the two prior elections in which voters rejected the bonds.
