School-boundary study shaking Davis
Talks kick up emotions, put pressure on officials
It has kicked up fears, tears, skepticism and rumors — and has put what leaders say is a tremendous amount of pressure on officials who are weighing the options.
Tuesday night's Davis School District board meeting's discussion on the elementary boundary study could be a mild preview of what will come when high school lines are on the table.
The board approved the first reading on boundaries for two new schools along with Eagle Bay, Sand Springs, Heritage, Bluff Ridge and Kaysville elementary schools.
"Your comments have been reasonable and certainly heartfelt," Marian Storey, board president, told around 100 community members who attended the meeting.
"But I want you to know that this is a first reading, it does not mean because we approved this we are approving the current map — we are only moving the process on, but will be reading and re-evaluating your comments and possibly making changes."
Many community members showed up to convey disapproval at the idea of their children being uprooted from their current school. Some felt the new walking routes were unsafe. And a few shed tears.
Board members will continue to field comments from community members over the next two weeks before final approval on the elementary study.
High school boundary open house nights are set for next week, and boundary officials say that process has been a huge project.
"This is historic — I've never seen anything discussed at this level and it's a lot to bite off," said Rick Call, Davis secondary-schools director.
This is the first time in more than three decades that a high school boundary study in the district will affect every high school in the district.
The district will be finishing "high school number eight," the school's current moniker, in Syracuse, which will help alleviate the bulging seams in many of the high schools, particularly Clearfield, which is running at 117 percent capacity. However, when new boundaries are drawn, they also will be adjusted in the southern part of the district to balance enrollment.
And a lot of families are nervous.
"Many believe that something should happen, but not to them," said Wally Hawkins, secondary director over high schools.
Hawkins said the top concerns that have been brought to the boundary committee — among the 1,200-plus e-mails, letters and calls received — were students being forced to leave a school that has become a family legacy, keeping families together, travel and safety.
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