Small-district bill passes committee

To the excitement of leaders in several Salt Lake County cities, an updated small school-district bill was endorsed Wednesday by the Legislature's Political Subdivisions Committee.

The bill included additions that will help pave the way for two proposed east-side school districts to move forward with feasibility studies. It also clarifies what would happen to existing school boards, bonds and district property.

Sen. Carlene Walker, R-Sandy, plans to sponsor that bill in the 2007 legislative session. The committee's endorsement means the bill can go straight to the Senate floor without a committee hearing in the general session.

"This is a work in progress," Walker said, noting that additional problems and challenges will arise and changes will continue to be made to the bill. "It will probably be a continuing process after the 2007 session. We have to get this on the books so those that are in the process of doing this will have a model."

After numerous school closures and some near-closures last year, most east-side Salt Lake County cities have been researching the idea to split from the Jordan and Granite school districts and create their own locally controlled districts.

Studies commissioned by some of those cities show the smaller districts would have more money per student.

Sandy, Cottonwood Heights, Draper, Alta, Midvale and Salt Lake County have all contracted to do a feasibility study among the five cities and county. Holladay, South Salt Lake and Salt Lake County have also entered into their own feasibility study.

Cities within Alpine School District in Utah County, including Orem, Pleasant Grove, Vineyard and Lindon, were discussing creating their own school districts as well. Orem recently decided against putting the issue on the November ballot, and the other cities are too small to go at it alone.

A feasibility study is one of the steps that municipalities need to take before the issue is put on the ballot.

"Truly, that is the bottom line, that we want to make sure the children are well-served and their education is the best it can possibly be," Walker said.

Local officials brought up some concerns with the current draft legislation. Sandy and Holladay leaders said that the bill's language on the division of property and other assets should be beefed up.

John Hiskey, Sandy's Deputy Mayor, urged lawmakers to "get away from generalized language and move into metrics," such as dividing assets by the student population or the city's taxable value.