W. Jordan approves firm for school district study

WEST JORDAN — Residents in this west-side Salt Lake County city will find out as soon as July whether a school district within the city's boundaries is feasible.

The West Jordan City Council on Tuesday voted 6-1 to approve the selection of consulting firm Lewis Young Robertson & Burningham Inc. to conduct a feasibility study to examine the pros and cons of forming a West Jordan-only school district. The study will cost the city between $62,000 and $70,000, and likely will take 45 to 60 days to complete.

State law, passed during the 2006 legislative session and fleshed out during the 2007 session, requires a city or group of cities wanting to break away from an existing school district to first conduct a feasibility study before the issue is put on the ballot and decided by voters.

West Jordan elected officials have said the only reason the city is moving forward with plans to form its own district is because east-side cities are preparing to break away.

"It's unfair to say right now if we're going to pull out until we look at the study," Councilwoman Kathy Hilton said. "Yes, we are interested, but we need the study to tell us that it's feasible."

Feasibility studies commissioned by cities on the east side of Salt Lake County that want to break away already are complete, with the Jordan River as the dividing line.

Lewis Young Robertson & Burningham Inc. also conducted the study for east-side cities wanting to split from the Jordan School District. Much of that data can be reused in the West Jordan study, which will speed up the process, said Gary Luebbers, city manager.

The City Council wants the study process to be complete in time for the issue to be placed on the ballot this year in anticipation of east-side cities voting in November as well.

The West Jordan study will examine the impacts of West Jordan splitting from the existing Jordan School District as well as the modified school district, assuming Sandy, Draper, Cottonwood Heights, Midvale and Alta break away.

A small portion of West Jordan also is in Granite School District.

Completed studies show an east-side exodus from Jordan and Granite school districts would force west-side cities to raise property taxes to manage growth and new school construction. In addition, the west side would have to function with less money per student.

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