Campaign against Jordan split ramping up

A campaign to keep the Jordan School District intact is ramping up.

Friends of Jordan School District is expected to dot neighborhoods with signs urging a no vote on Nov. 6 ballot proposals to split the school district along the Jordan River and West Jordan city boundaries. The group (www.friendsofjsd.org) has filed as a political action committee with Salt Lake County and raised around $850, with more promised to come in, spokeswoman Betty Shaw said Wednesday. It's also preparing fliers to pass around saying the split is bad for students.

"My idea is, if it's not broken, don't fix it. And I don't see anywhere Jordan School District is broken," said Shaw, who lives in east-side White City township and is treasurer of the regional PTA covering Jordan District. "I don't know why we would want to spend $10 on this. I'd rather buy more paper for the kids or something."

Opposing group Citizens for Small School Districts (www.c4ssd.com) has a few weeks' head start, about $4,500 cash on hand and $20,000 in committed funds raised, vice chairman Brian Allen said.

"We definitely have the interest of our children at heart, and I think that if truly everyone had the interest of the kids at heart ... we wouldn't have to have these kinds of discussions or campaigns," Citizens for Small School Districts chairwoman Nicolle Bangerter said.

Jordan District in Salt Lake County is the state's largest with about 80,000 students and 90 schools.

Cottonwood Heights, Sandy, Draper, Alta and Midvale propose forming their own district with about 33,500 students and 45 schools, according to Jordan District numbers.

West Jordan also seeks its own citywide school district, which would have nearly 21,000 students and 23 schools, Jordan District numbers show.

The Jordan Board of Education opposes the idea. It notes it has the top graduation rate among the nation's 50 largest school districts, a great bang for the buck and a high financial rating. A three-way split will cost some $144 million in start-up expenses, reports the district, citing information from the cities' feasibility studies.

Board member Ellen Wallace worries special programs, from International Baccalaureate to those for students with disabilities, will be lost or watered down.