New school boundaries in Provo?

PROVO — Five months ago, Kevin Garver's children helped lay cornerstones for a school in their Lakeview neighborhood, which they thought they would attend when it opens next fall.

They may be wrong.

On Wednesday, the Provo School District staff unveiled a fourth boundary proposal map for the southeastern side of town. The map is a revised version of three other maps that the public was asked to comment on at open houses last week.

School district staff drew the new map after they read surveys from open houses and talked to principals of affected elementary schools — Amelia Earhart, Franklin, Sunset View, Spring Creek and Westridge.

Although the new map seems to be satisfactory, Garver is not happy.

"What really bugs me is that we were blindsided by this," he said.

The new map is expected to be posted on the school district's Web site, www.provo.edu, today. Members of the public will also be able to submit comments about the newest map through the Web site.

Also beginning today, the public can visit the school district's offices at 280 W. 940 North and study larger versions of the maps from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 30.

The Board of Education will vote on making the boundaries official at its next meeting on Nov. 13.

Advantages of the new map include more equal enrollment and numbers of disadvantaged students.

A disadvantage is that the boundary map, if approved, will require changes in coming years.

"That ought to be our primary (concern) when we look at this," board member Carolyn Wright said. "How long do you think this is going to last?"

"I think you'll see this viable for three to five years," board president Darryl Alder said.

The new boundary map proposes splitting the Boulders apartments, 750 S. 650 West, between Franklin and Sunset View. The students currently attend Spring Creek.

The Boulders population includes many low-income students. Some struggle with English. Families move in and out of the area more frequently than other parts of town, often during the middle of the school year. Such factors can create challenges in the classroom, said Linde Wong, principal at Spring Creek.

Wong has worked for more than a decade with low-income students from different neighborhoods in town and believes children from the Boulders have unique challenges.