Mythbusting: Are the stereotypes about east-side and west-side schools really true?

In Jordan, the expulsion rate on the east side was about a third higher than on the west side. The east had about one expulsion for every 188 students. The west had one for about every 299 students. The expulsions came for actions from assault to bringing weapons to school, sexual misconduct, threats, drug or alcohol abuse and gang violence.

Jordan officials point out, however, that may just show that some schools are stricter than others, and some schools may initiate discipline less severe than expulsion.

In Granite, police responses to schools per 1,000 students is virtually the same: 35.6 per 1,000 on the east side and 34.8 on the west. That is according to data for January through June this year provided by the district.

Of note, however, Granite also has more "resource officers" stationed in west-side schools. While all district high schools have one officer, five of nine west-side junior high schools have one, but only one of six east-side junior high schools does. Jordan reports having the same number of resource officers in each type of its schools.

East-side high schools take students on more expensive trips and to more exotic locations.

Jordan and Granite: Confirmed.

While Jordan high schools on both sides of the valley have had about the same number of overnight trips over the past two years, the east side has had more that are out-of-state and that are more expensive.

On the east side, 54 percent of trips by Jordan school groups and teams in 2006 and 2007 were to out-of-state locations. On the west side, 41 percent were. The average cost of an overnight trip for a student on the east was about $372, compared to $321 on the west — a difference of $51 (hence trips cost 16 percent more on the east side on average).

The results for Granite are similar. The average number of trips per school in 2006 is roughly equal, east and west. But 46 percent of trips from east-side schools were to out-of-state locations, compared to 39 percent on the west side.

Also, the average cost per student per trip was $299 on the east, and $260 on the west — a difference of $39 (or 15 percent more on the east side — about the same as in Jordan District). Part of that may be subsidized by the school and fund-raisers, and fee waivers for low-income students apply if the school requires the trip. Breakouts for that, however, were not available for analysis.