From Deseret News archives:
Davis boundary plan criticized
Syracuse residents reject sending 300 to Clearfield High
Around 150 people from Syracuse gathered outside the Davis School District office building to protest a boundary realignment proposal that would put just over 300 Syracuse students in the Clearfield High School boundaries.
The community fought the same battle after the last boundary proposal, in which 160 students would have been in Clearfield boundaries. District leaders finally decided to move that neighborhood within Syracuse boundaries. So residents said they are hopeful their pleas will be heard again.
The latest Davis boundary realignment proposal aims to redraw high school boundaries while creating boundaries for a new high school in Syracuse, which opens next fall.
Under the proposal, most Syracuse students will be attending the school, except for those 300 students.
"It's just so simple — all we want is for Syracuse kids to go to Syracuse schools — it's common sense," said Donita Bitter, a Syracuse resident who attended the protest. "Dividing us up and putting us in different schools will have a devastating effect on the unity of the community. "
Parents said they are concerned about having their children be separated from their core group of friends when they go to high school — after growing up with students who will be going to the new high school.
"There is no question that it's the kids' core group of friends that help them through, especially with junior high and high school being so social," said Shauna Dunford, Bluffridge Elementary's PTA president.
Students, parents and even cheerleaders were outside the district building for two hours holding signs and yelling chants — hoping to get the message to board members.
Davis spokesman Chris Williams said so far the district has received more than 600 e-mails from Davis residents as a whole expressing concerns.
"We won this battle one time; we did get our city put back together. I think we can do it again, and I hope they will consider that," Dunford said. "Why is it up to the school board to decide where our community is — this is purely about keeping our city together."
Boundary consultant Darrell White, who is a former Davis superintendent, created the boundary proposal and presented it to the board last week.
This is the second proposal brought to the table. A 2nd District Court judge in Farmington, responding to claims that the Boundary Advisory Committee violated the state's open meetings law, issued a restraining order and prevented the district from using any of the information gathered by the committee to make boundary decisions. Citing time constraints, the district then hired White to prepare a new 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.
E-mail: terickson@desnews.com
