Jordan school split may not cut into choice

School choice is dear to the Gawrych family, whose four children have special permits to attend public schools outside the boundaries of their Sandy neighborhood school.

But mother Julie Gawrych wonders what might happen to that choice, also enjoyed by 13,500 other Jordan District students, if voters decide to split the district into two, or even three, separate agencies on Nov. 6.

"There are many parents who are concerned about school choice," said Gawrych, who lives in the Copperview Elementary neighborhood but takes her children to Brookwood Elementary and Albion Middle School closer to the east bench. "If my school choice is endangered, definitely, that would be a big issue."

The chief of school law and legislation for the State Office of Education wonders if a new district would have to halt school choice until financial and boundary matters are addressed.

"Yes, of course all the school open enrollment options (under state law) would apply" in a new district, said attorney Carol Lear. "But implementing them in this new environment would be really tricky. ... (For) the students moving between districts, it's going to be difficult to figure out."

But advocates of a school district split say school choice would not be a problem should voters approve of the idea.

"To me, a new school district is going to enhance choice," said Brian Allen, vice chairman of the group, Citizens for Small School Districts. Stating otherwise "is one of those red herrings they throw out there to scare people."

Utah law generally allows students to attend public schools outside of their neighborhood or even their school district, so long as there's room.

The public school choice option apparently is popular in the state's largest school district.

Of some 80,000 Jordan District students, 7,367 elementary, 3,117 middle, and 3,043 high school students attend schools outside their neighborhood school's boundaries (including transfers outside the district and to special programs like Valley High alternative school and Itineris charter school with Salt Lake Community College), district numbers show.

That's about 13,500 students, or about 1 out of every 6, exercising school choice within the traditional public school system. About half of them live in the proposed new east-side district.

Most permit students don't cross the east-west divide.