Quick split unlikely in West Jordan

WEST JORDAN — A majority of the West Jordan City Council has expressed strong reservations about creating a school district within city boundaries, making it unlikely the issue will appear on the ballot in November.

Council members say there are too many questions about how the proposed district splits would work for either the city's legislative body or its residents to make informed decisions about the future of education in West Jordan. That sentiment was echoed by the handful of residents who spoke at a sparsely attended public hearing on the issue Monday night.

"I think we're putting the cart before the horse if we bring this to a vote now," Councilman Rob Bennett said.

The City Council had been poised to vote on the issue tonight, thinking that the Salt Lake County Clerk's Office needed to know by Aug. 15 whether the split would be on the ballot. But Mayor Dave Newton said he visited the clerk's office last week and was told West Jordan had until Sept. 11 to make that decision, meaning the council has another month to discuss the issue.

"That puts us in a position where we don't have to hurry as much as we thought we did," Newton said.

Still, it's unlikely the shared concerns of the City Council and West Jordan residents will be answered by that deadline: How much would property tax increase? Would the quality of education improve? Is it constitutional for only West Jordan residents to vote on creating the new school district? What happens to the small number of students in Murray and Taylorsville who attend school in West Jordan?

"How are (residents) going to know to make an informed decision at the polls?" Councilwoman Melissa Johnson asked. "What kind of information are we going to be able to give them so they can make an informed decision?"

State Reps. Jim Bird and Steven Mascaro, both of whom represent West Jordan, attended the public hearing to request that the City Council not put the issue on the ballot this year — not until the issue can be addressed by the 2008 Utah Legislature.

"We don't need to go so fast," Bird said. "There's plenty of time. Let's take a minute and do it right the first time, make sure all of our oranges and apples are where they're supposed to be."

West Jordan began exploring the idea of forming its own school district in March when it became clear several east-side cities were eager to break away from the Jordan School District. Most of West Jordan is in the Jordan School District, though a sliver of the city is in Granite's boundaries.