UHSAA accepts 2 schools

MIDVALE — Two new public schools were accepted into the Utah High School Activities Association while one charter school was denied membership and two private schools' applications were tabled until January.

The UHSAA's Board of Trustees voted to accept Desert Hills (St. George) as a 3A school in Region 9 and Salem Hills (Salem) as a 3A school in Region 8 for the 2008-09 school year. Both are public high schools.

The BOT voted unanimously to deny membership to Rockwell High School (Eagle Mountain) because the school is not yet open and has no student body or facilities yet. Rockwell is a charter school that will open in 2008-09.

"I have concerns about their numbers, and they certainly don't fit in 1A," said Teresa Theurer, the Utah State School Board representative on the BOT. "I think they can make another application when they have facilities and a student body."

The BOT voted to table applications from Liahona Preparatory Academy and Woodland Hills at USC. Both are private schools that are currently open but are in the process of building new facilities.

In the case of Liahona Prep, it is renting facilities from another school, Freedom Academy. Owners of that school don't plan to build a gymnasium for several years.

Woodland Hills at USC, on the other hand, is leasing facilities but plans to have its campus built and open for 1,200 students next September.

BOT members want to see current lease agreements, as well as confirmation from contractors that the necessary facilities will indeed be built by next fall.

"I'm excited about it," said Bob Jones, who started Woodland Hills. "I take that as a very positive sign."

The BOT also tabled a presentation on whether or not to accept El Capitan High (Colorado City, Ariz.) because school officials are still discussing legal questions with state officials, as well as gathering information on facilities.

The BOT also discussed the framework for the next realignment, which will be decided by June 10, 2008, but won't go into effect until Sept. 2009.

They established criteria for organizing schools into classifications, with size being the top concern.

"Size does matter," said Ken Adams, the principal of Morgan High. The BOT agreed, and then opted to stick with five classifications for Utah, although they adjusted population numbers slightly.

Currently 1A is schools with fewer than 150 students. The 2A class tops out at 450 students, while 3A's maximum number is 1,200 and 4A tops out around 1,500 students.