Schools' future elusive

PROVO — Provo school chiefs say the aging Joaquin Elementary School should be closed after this school year for safety reasons.

Where to relocate the students who attend the central-city school, however, remains a stumbling block for Provo District's Board of Education, which is considering a 10-year master growth plan that calls for schools to close and several be converted to other uses.

But after more than seven hours of heated discussion, the board did not select a plan and voted to postpone the decision until next week.

Under the current proposal, Joaquin would close and Farrer Middle School would be converted into an elementary school for children who used to go to Joaquin.

Additionally, Timpanogos Elementary would be rebuilt or the students would be relocated to the Dixon Middle School building, and a Harbor Park Elementary would be built for students in southwest Provo.

Opinions flowed freely at the meeting.

"If you close Farrer Middle School, you are taking the last stronghold from the inner city of Provo, and you're taking every safe haven that was ever there for our children," said Jackie Poulter, a parent. "We have children who are smart and bright and who need the opportunity to succeed."

Since September, the board has narrowed several possible master plans down to one, which seeks to fix dilapidated schools and realign lopsided school boundaries in three separate phases.

Details for each step haven't been decided.

But that didn't keep the public from weighing in.

"We clearly want neighborhood schools," said Lance Long, whose children attend Wasatch Elementary, Farrer Middle and Timpview High schools.

For now, only the fate of Farrer Middle School is in question, though other schools may be closed after Harbor Park Elementary is constructed.

The rest of the schools will receive necessary repairs and upgrades, according to officials.

Currently, however, the district doesn't have the money needed to implement the master plan, although the possible sale of Joaquin Elementary is expected to bring top dollar because of its proximity to Brigham Young University.

The rest of the plan would have to be financed by cutting school programs or through a tax increase that would have to be approved by the majority of voters.

But many Provo residents hope the plan won't get that far — at least this year.

"Let's wait until we can find the plan that is best for kids," said Jillian Ward, physical education teacher at Farrer. "Because right now, this is not it."

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E-mail: lwarner@desnews.com