West-side students could stay at Cottonwood even if district splits

If you go to east-side Cottonwood High and live on the west side, don't worry, you could remain a Colt if Granite school district splits.

The Education Interim Committee and Local Issues Task Force Tuesday afternoon put that guarantee into a bill originally crafted to let residents in the Draper hilltop SunCrest community attend Alpine District schools in the event the Jordan District splits.

Another addition to the bill requires the county clerk to certify a split question, if municipalities involved want to put it on the ballot, within five working days instead of 45. That's in hopes of getting the matter before voters in November.

The committee and task force hope the bill, plus others on equalizing building money available to school districts when splits occur, are heard in a special session as soon as possible.

"We're trying hard to make allowances with issues that we know exist with the Cottonwood High School area," said Sen. Carlene Walker, R-Cottonwood Heights and task force chairwoman. "This is what we came up with."

Holladay and South Salt Lake have voted to put the issue of breaking away from Granite School district on the ballot. The ball is now in the Salt Lake County Council hands. It still must decide whether Millcreek will join them. Ditto for areas of unincorporated county amid Cottonwood Heights, Alta, Midvale, Sandy and Draper, which have voted to break away from Jordan District.

Should the county agree, then voters in the proposed new districts would vote in November on whether to secede.

Several issues have come up that concern the County Council, including leaving the west sides enough money for school buildings (see related story) and whether the split would end up closing Cottonwood High. If Granite splits, that school would be absorbed into Murray School District, which couldn't support a second high school.

But Holladay and South Salt Lake propose connecting the Cottonwood area to the remaining Granite District to help keep it open. County Council chairman Mark Crockett Tuesday asked the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel whether the law allows for that and whether the agencies would have to redo a feasibility study if they go that route.

The bill before lawmakers Tuesday is a related, but separate, matter.