An emerging plan for the new Granite High School provides an option to the traditional high school approach through three learning academies, the Granite School Board was told Tuesday.

Linda Mariotti, assistant superintendent for instructional services, updated board members on progress in creating a nontraditional high school.

The school will house new programs along with existing ones, such as Central High School's alternative program and the district's young parent diploma program.

"I'm getting excited," board president Patricia Sandstrom said of the plan set into action by a unanimous vote Nov. 29.

But some board members were concerned about defining the school as "alternative." Board members also wanted academics to be key to the school's new mission.

"It's a smaller school, but it needs to be comprehensive," board member Connie Burgess said.

Mariotti assured board members students would have to meet the same graduation requirements as students in other schools. The emphasis for all students would be academic rigor, relevance and relationships, she said.

"What we heard is that you want rigor in all three academies . . . high academic standards," she said.

Mariotti told board members the learning academies would include a:

• Performing arts academy with music, drama, dance and visual arts.

• A career academy focusing on areas such as cosmetology, home building, metals, welding and fire tech.

• An ESL newcomer's academy to help new students who speak a foreign language transition to the regular classroom.

The approach would be interdisciplinary, she said. For example, cosmetology students might do makeup or costumes for performing arts students, and aerobics instruction could be used to train a chorus line.

The school will be open to all Granite District students but priority will be given to those currently attending Granite High School.

Administrators had been charged with evaluating sites for the new high school. It will be located at Granite High School's current site for 2006-07. The boundaries have been re-drawn to give Granite students the option of attending a traditional high school as well.

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E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com