Legislative panel solicits ideas on creation of smaller districts

As cities attempt to exercise a new law through which they can create smaller school districts, they're coming up with a lot of questions on how it would all work.

But rather than give up on the new law, legislators want to hear about problems — the Political Subdivisions Interim Committee got an earful Wednesday — so they can find solutions.

"There are too many questions to answer today," said committee co-chairwoman Sen. Carlene Walker, R-Sandy.

The new law allows first-or second-class cities or interlocal agreements that comprise at least 65,000 people to conduct a feasibility study into forming a school district, and have people within that proposed district area vote on whether to form a school district.

Holladay is gathering information on the prospect now, as is Cottonwood Heights, for example.

The idea, Holladay City Councilman Lynn Pace said, comes out of loyalty to area public schools and attempts to give residents more say in school-district decisions.

It also follows community discontent over Granite School District's process and decision to close two elementary schools last winter.

But details surrounding the new process are popping up for superintendents, city leaders and parents. Their concerns include:

• If a new school district includes a high school, and if it takes all the schools that feed into that high school, should all the affected residents vote on the matter, even if they're outside city boundaries?

• Should there be a moratorium on issuing bonds as entities investigate new school districts?

• If the new district assumes the buildings in its boundaries, how should other assets, such as art collections, buses and specialized schools, be split up?

Walker said the committee likely would regularly discuss such issues and may form an ad hoc group to examine them and report back to the committee.

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