A second statewide equalization proposal emerged Wednesday at a meeting of the Legislature's Local Issues Task Force. Both proposals seek to equalize the system of paying for new buildings in districts with growing enrollment. One would rely on income tax dollars, the second would depend on property tax dollars. Both would allocate about $114 million statewide for construction needs.

"The plan is we'd probably take both to a special session and see what flies," said Sen. Carlene Walker, R-Cottonwood Heights.

But Lisa Roskelley, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s spokeswoman, said multiple proposals could be problematic.

"In order for the governor to consider a special session there needs to be consensus," she said. "If you're going to go into a session with really different mechanisms, which it seems these two proposals are, that's really something that needs to be done in a general session."

The debate around increasing funding for construction needs in growing school districts comes at a time when the state's two largest districts - Granite and Jordan - are at risk of being divided by voters. Lawmakers believe that moving toward more equalized school construction financing would help alleviate a potential surge in tax rates for west-side Salt Lake County residents if a split occurs in one or both of the districts.

Legislators also want to discuss small changes to the school district division law at a special session to resolve issues concerning the Suncrest subdivision in Draper.

If the governor agrees to call a special session, a joint meeting of the task force and the Legislature's Education Interim Committee would be called in advance of the session in order to collect public input on the two proposals, task force members said.

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* JULIA LYON can be contacted at jlyon@sltrib.com or 801-257-8748.