SANDY — Receiving a name is the first of many baby steps for Utah's 41st school district.

The school board of the newly formed east-side district voted unanimously Tuesday evening, in front of a crowd of about 200 people, to approve the name of Canyons School District.

"We can now move forward with a real identity," said Canyons district Superintendent Dave Doty.

The event took place in the Jordan High auditorium.

Other name choices were: Majestic Peaks; Sunrise; Horizon; Mountain View; Lone Peak; Wasatch Peaks; Mountain Ridge; Alta; East Jordan; Canyon Ridge and Mountain Peaks.

Some people are nostalgic for the old name.

"It's tugging at my heartstrings. I graduated from Jordan High, and it's hard for me to think of this district as anything but Jordan," said Carla Burningham, principal of Midvalley Elementary School in Midvale.

But others have been looking forward to something new. "Change can be a wonderful opportunity," said Polly Alles, head secretary at Midvalley Elementary.

Canyons got a big thumbs up from most people at the event. "I like it. It has a ring to it," said Marc Hunter, Jordan High School athletic director.

Prizes were given to the person who came up with the selected name, as well as two runners-up who suggested Alta and Wasatch Peaks.

The first-place winner, Nick Crawford, 15, a sophomore at Brighton High School, received gifts including: a $1,125 scholarship for higher education from Jordan Credit Union and Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan; $50 gift certificates for Gastronomy and Barnes and Noble; Lagoon Fright Night passes; Alta lift tickets; lunch at Rustler Lodge; Jazz tickets, massage and spa gift cards; and a case of Apple Beer.

Crawford said he chose Canyons because "this district is based between the two Cottonwood canyons."

Runners up received gifts including: $250 scholarship; $25 Barnes and Noble gift cards; Target gift cards; and Fright Night passes to Lagoon.

Voting for the new district's name closed last Friday with 4,138 votes being cast for 12 names out of the 500 submissions from the public.

Canyons district comprises Cottonwood Heights, Sandy, Midvale, Alta and Draper.

The west-side Jordan district consists of Bluffdale, Herriman, Riverton, South Jordan and West Jordan.

In November, east-side residents voted to leave Jordan district and form their own school district. Since then, the east and west sides of the district have not been able to agree on how to split assets and liabilities.

Both sides chose arbitrators in August. Arbitration proceedings are scheduled for December.

The east side contends it is suffering from declining enrollment and aging school buildings. The west side says it is worried about predicted rapid enrollment growth and the lack of school buildings to house the student influx.

The Jordan district division will be official July 1, 2009.

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E-mail: astewart@desnews.com