Davis boundary plan draws praise, fire

Students who are now attending high school in Davis School District don't have to worry about changing schools after new boundary lines are drawn.

The former boundary proposal would have allowed only the senior classes to finish at their original school. And while most residents are pleased with that aspect of the new plan, some parents aren't happy with the proposal as a whole and say the district just never listened to them.

"I just feel like (the boundary consultant) didn't address any of our issues. We are feeling very defeated. The district still did what they wanted to without listening to what we wanted," said Heather Simonsen, spokesperson for a Farmington group of parents concerned with sending 150 students to Viewmont rather than Davis High.

But parent Janeth Balle said she is thrilled with the proposal and the efforts made to achieve socioeconomic enrollment balance at Clearfield, Northridge and the new high school.

Under the new plan, about one-third of the enrollment of each school would be low-income students.

"I feel bad for those who have to change schools, but somebody was going have to move," Balle said.

Marian Storey, president of the Davis Board of Education said she expects there will be some minor changes made to the new proposal but nothing major before it goes to a final vote, most likely on Jan. 16.

"I think all in all it is a very good proposal ... not everyone is going to be happy, and if they are not, it isn't because we haven't listened, it's because we are trying to do our best for the greatest number of kids," Storey said.

This week Storey said she and other board members have been out "driving some of those areas that were questionable" — taking a look at the areas where there have been concerns.

The goal of the boundary realignment study was not only to redraw high school boundaries but to create boundaries for a new high school in Syracuse, which opens next fall.

Davis District hired its former superintendent, Darrell White, who is also a former governor's education deputy, to create a boundary proposal.

Maps of the proposed boundaries are available at www.davis.k12.ut.us.

Written comments and concerns about the proposal will be accepted until Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. Feedback can be hand-delivered to the school district office, submitted via e-mail at consultant@dsdmail.net or by mail to Consultant, Davis School District, P.O. Box 588, Farmington, UT 84025.

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