Reader comments
West Jordan residents divided on district split

The city needs to act now before the Legislature changes the rules again on district splits. West Jordan doesn't want to find itself in the same situation as it did on the RDA issue several years ago. With 100,000 residents and 50,000 more in the future, West Jordan is sufficiently large to support a quality district. The new district will provide more local control on issues most important to us. Once the new district is created, the next step is to urge our Legislature to equalize building funding.

West Jordan residents need to get out Nov. 6 and vote NO on this issue. There are more questions than answers and the cost alone should give us a clue about what a mess this whole process is. It's like we're jumping off a cliff and not knowing what is at the bottom. I for one have been extremely happy with Jordan School District. I'd rather stay with what I know if good rather than take a risk and land at the bottom of the mountain with no net.

WJ is still growing and has need of more schools. It also has schools that need renovation or to be rebuilt. Expect a lot higher taxes than what has been stated when those projects are up for bond as a single city.

District splits should require that all affected should vote to form a new district because all will be in new districts if it passes.

This whole district split idea is a worse idea than Vouchers. Everyone will have tax increases because of it (though the East side likely will have a more flat incline), services will have to be rearranged or added to keep the same level, and who knows where teachers and some boundary crossing students are going to be ending up.

How many pushing for the split already know that JSD is divided in four administratively at the district level? Do they know that each school has its own PTA, its own teachers and administration? Have they even tried working within the system?

Thank your legislator for this "fine mess we're in"!

Beyond this whole district split debacle, this wouldn't have happened had the legislature allowed school districts to levy impact fees on new development - the development that DIRECTLY creates the need for more schools.

These new schools, that everyone on the west-side keeps demanding, would have been paid for, by those doing the complaining, at the time their house was built.

But of course, that's not fair. And the mess we're in today is?

Wow, I would love to go out and vote for soemthing that no one has any idea how much it will cost me. Those who say this is too soon are absolutely correct. Yes spending all you money in your city sounds nice, but economy of scale would disappear, along with a lot of programs that people are now taking for granted. While I adamantly oppose any kind of district split, it is clear that the west side of Jordan District would be viable and growing, as long as it stays together. Splitting in half could have some viability, but these three or more could be a disaster. I herd there was a feasibility study that showed West Jordan could be really hurt by going it alone.

The legislature saw the breaking apart of districts as a way to weaken the UEA. It doesn't matter if services decline, schools have to change boundaries and taxes increase, so long as the UEA suffer.

We have to think more clearly in the future who we elect to represent us.