South Salt Lake may want to buy Granite High

A third incarnation may be in Granite High School's future.

South Salt Lake is interested in buying the campus from Granite School District, possibly to create a civic center and maintain open space and recreational facilities, according to an Aug. 7 letter Mayor Robert Gray sent to Granite Superintendent Steve Ronnenkamp.

"We acknowledge we've received an inquiry from South Salt Lake City showing an interest in the Granite High School building," Granite District spokesman Randy Ripplinger said. "That will be discussed at our board meeting on Tuesday."

But the move surprises the City Council. Council Chairman Casey Fitts said he had no idea a letter of that type had come from city administration.

"From the council's perspective, our vision has been to have a viable high school in place. Our frustration is they (Granite District) have failed in the commitments to make it a viable high school," Fitts said. "The high school is not serving the needs of South Salt Lake because the kids in South Salt Lake are going to high school elsewhere. Ultimately, it's not serving the community."

Granite High's fate has been in the balance for a couple of years. In 2005, it was threatened with closure by the Granite Board of Education; several residents, including city officials and students, rallied to keep it open. The board obliged — sort of.

Last fall, Granite turned into an umbrella school, including Central High alternative school, the young parents program, a newcomers program for immigrants and an opt-in high school that would one day turn into academies, possibly for careers or performing arts.

But the traditional school part of the umbrella shriveled, leaving the school with largely empty classrooms and a deserted football field, as athletics were taken out the picture in the metamorphosis. Kids opted mostly to attend their new boundary school, Cottonwood High.

That's not what city officials had envisioned for their flagship high school. Some said as much at a July 25 work session with school board members, after which the City Council moved to ask voters whether to break away from Granite School District (Salt Lake County's inaction halted that effort last week).

"I don't think there's been anything, on our part, any thought, really, that somehow, miraculously, Granite (High) is going to be saved," council vice chairman John Weaver told school board members at the time.

Board member Patricia Sandstrom asked if the city would rather see the school become a satellite for the Granite Technical Institute.