Special session on split?

Will lawmakers meet in special session to iron out issues of splitting Granite and Jordan school districts? Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. is expected to decide by week's end.

"There has been talk about the possibility," Huntsman spokeswoman Jami Palmer said Wednesday. "The governor has had some discussion with legislative leadership, and a decision will likely be made by the end of the week."

The governor's decision could be pivotal in the effort to split the state's largest school districts.

Without a special session to clear up worries about leaving Salt Lake County's west side with tons of students and not enough money to pay for buildings, the County Council is reluctant to even consider putting school-district-split questions on the ballot. The council has the final word over whether voters will get to decide the matter.

"To get a majority on the council, the state would have to actually equalize the (school building) funding," County Council Chairman Mark Crockett said. "I can see why people would want to be sure about that before they vote."

West Jordan, which also is mulling creating its own school district, is taking its cues from the county. West Jordan Mayor Dave Newton said that a special session could address one of city leaders' major concerns: money for buildings. If the County Council decides against the measure, Newton said, the West Jordan City Council will likely do the same.

Meanwhile, officials are working to resolve legal questions on split and elections issues, in case the county gives the green light.

County Clerk Sherrie Swensen has asked for a legal opinion on whether ballot language on a school district split can be drafted after Sept. 1. While general state election laws say that Sept. 1 is the deadline for drafting ballot language, the law on small school districts does not address the issue.

A bill that was embraced Tuesday by the Legislature's Education Interim Committee and Local Issues Task Force would cut down Swensen's time to certify the school district ballot questions from 45 days to five, which "we think is doable," Swensen said.

But another question that remains to be resolved is whether east-side Cottonwood High and its feeder schools can somehow stay with the west side Granite School District if the district is split. The Holladay City Council in recent weeks voted to stay with the Granite district and to keep Cottonwood open, and the South Salt Lake City Council followed with a similar vote.

If the district splits, state law would put Cottonwood High and Twin Peaks and Woodstock elementaries into Murray School District, because they lie within Murray city boundaries. Murray cannot support a second high school, and Cottonwood supporters have rallied to save their school.