For some residents, e-mails they sent marked the first time they felt strongly enough about an issue to contact the district.

"I have never, ever in my life e-mailed a school board, a congressman, a senator with a political opinion - ever," Brad Jacobsen, a South Jordan lawyer and father of two children in the district, said in a Tuesday phone interview. "But this one made me do it."

At issue is as much as $8 million the district could contribute as part of Sandy's $15 million bond pledged to RSL for land and infrastructure improvements for the stadium. The stadium is slated to be built in a community development project area, which means Sandy can use a share of its property tax dollars generated by the development to finance the effort. Sandy can also ask other taxing entities - such as the Jordan District - to voluntarily give up their portion of taxes that would be collected from the development.

But the Jordan school board can choose not to forfeit its share of future taxes, and in fact in the past has formalized a position against participating in such deals.

With discussion between Sandy and the district in the early stages, what the deal would be is not entirely clear.

"We're waiting to get more information, concrete information from Sandy City on the proposal," said Peggy Jo Kennett, school board president. "It's hard to say what the board is going to do without having the specifics on the situation."

While the board may not have voted yet, where the residents stand is evident in their e-mails, which The Tribune obtained under provisions of Utah's Government Records Access and Management Act.

"This is a sad day in the history of Utah education," Jacobsen wrote. "If this is accepted, I will actively campaign against any sitting member of the school board and look into any potential litigation that could tie up such use of funds."

All of the dozens of e-mails and phone calls Board Member Lynette Phillips received have been against using education money for the stadium, she said at Tuesday's board meeting.

"I'd like to hear from as many people as I possibly can," she said.

Board Member Ann Forbush reminded the audience that they can take their concerns directly to Sandy.

"If their neighbors, if they're all feeling the same way you are, circulate a petition and get it down to the mayor," she said.

Chris Davies, a lawyer from Sandy, wrote: "In a time of large class size, reduced teacher salaries and cutbacks in school programs, this idea of diverting money earmarked for education to help pay for a stadium is appalling!"

He also wrote: "RSL is suggesting that the district compromise the education of the current students now in the system for a reward years down the road. Why are today's kids any less important then tomorrow's?"

Feelings about the team are sometimes harsh.

"Money for education in Utah is simply too hard to come by to be spent on such a joke as the RSL," wrote Louis Weichert, a Midvale resident, who is retired from the maintenance department in the Jordan district.

Craig Douglass, a South Jordan resident, whose four children graduated from Jordan schools, has concerns about the viability of the team.

"Real Salt Lake has not existed long enough to prove itself financially," he wrote in an e-mail. "If the stadium gets built, there is no proof or guarantee that Real will be solvent in 1, 2, 5, or 10 years. Any perceived benefits to the district will be completely lost the minute the team dissolves."

But feelings about the stadium don't mean that all residents are opposed to Major League Soccer. What many have the problem with is using education money to pay for a stadium.

"Although I support the idea of a professional soccer team in the state, I know the realities of major league soccer teams in the U.S.," wrote Kip Williams, a financial analyst from Sandy. "They don't make a profit and struggle to keep things going. I believe that using any public funds for the soccer stadium or the team is foolish. When will Dave Checketts begin to take some risk for this business venture, instead of laying a big part of that burden on city and county taxpayers?"

jlyon@sltrib.com