Reader comments
Educated voters on education issues?

With past studies and cost of education it seems counter productive for education to split school districts and create smaller ones. For one thing it will double the overhead costs in each district to form new district offices and schools. It seems to be a selfish act by wealthier citizens for educating the children of the state. Tax funds are distributed by area wealth and powers that are discriminatory to the education of Utah children. Education funds should be equal in all of Utah's school districts and schools. Splitting the Jordan school district is an effort to put more of the education funds in to more affluent areas over the needs of all children in the public education system. Unequality in education is the goal of this split and a NO vote will preserve some order in education.

So much fuss about money and control with splitting Jordan School District. What about students? After studying the issue, it seems little will change for students in classes. They will have the same teachers in the same schools and the same overcrowded classrooms.

As I understand it, the start up costs to create new districts is estimated at $144 million. When you factor in duplicated administration services for new districts, we're talking about a bunch of money that will have little or no impact on students.

Also, we on the east already have four members on the Jordan Board of Education. With a split, we get seven. So what? We spend lots of money to get what?

It's a no brainer for me. I'm voting no.

I worry about my grandkids who live on the west side. This split thing seems very selfish on our part. The students on the west deserve our support, too. I don't see what we in Sandy gain that is so important we should abandon everyone else.

The Jordan school board took the only position it could -- to oppose an idea that does NOT have the best interests of kids in mind. While the rest of the country is consolidating districts, why in the world would any underfunded school district in Utah want to split? There will be a loss of programs and a huge pricetags. And in the end, there will be a lot of unmet, unrealistic expectations.

The comments and Jordan Board's flip-flopping on this issue just three weeks before the election reek of nothing but desperation. They don't care about kids or else the board would have moved a long time ago to divide on its own. It was their inaction and sluggish desire to preserve the status quo that forced the communities to study this issue out, see that laws were passed, defend their case in court and support the grassroots coalitions that have formed. If the Jordan Board really cared about children and communities it would have tried to work with these cities instead of trying to obstruct and obfuscate. Preserving the status quo is more important to JSD than providing a better education for children. And if there's any doubt that a smaller district would be better just take a look at the good things hundreds of them are doing every day in our own state and across the country. Smaller districts create local control, produce better academic results, are more cost-effective, avoid building enormous, mall-sized schools, produce more parental/community involvement and have school boards that actually reflect the needs of their communities. Why is Jordan District fighting this instead of listening?

The tax base isn't established on the West side, especially if/when West Jordan and South Jordan also leave. That means huge increases in property taxes just to stay afloat for Herriman.

I see the split happening anyway, so the question is what are the potential impacts?

For elementary aged kids services will remain the same. After about five years kids in Herriman, Bluffdale and Copperton (the left over District) will have enormous overcrowded classrooms and no money to build schools. On the East side, it will be about time to close another elementary school in the Brighton feeder area. This may be in ten years, but the need to do so will come. A few Special ed. kids will no longer have services because the need was met by a specialized educator who travels to various schools.

Secondary will be impacted the most. Foreign language and AP classes will be cut where the district only has one teacher. These programs share a teacher across the district using an audio/video link between schools. Other programs will have to be scaled back or cut due to funding. Driver's ed will be the first under the knife being the most expensive.

JSD is not fighting. It has practically given up the ghost.

You are forgetting that JSD is one of the best large school districts in the nation. After it is shattered it won't compare and we should see a gradual slide in overall quality.

Those who oppose the split that live on the East side are casting their vote for all the children that would be effected. Those who are voting to split are voting for the kids on the East side. That is why it puzzles me that the vote can be given to only those who wish to leave when doing so impacts so many other people. It also makes no sense to cancel out the votes for members of the school board either.

The West side has legitimate beef without representation in this issue. I hope the courts see it that way.

Money is needed to increase the weighted pupil average which is what will lower class sizes. By splitting districts, all this does is create more superindenents who work for the same cost ($120,000) and more school boards, and more district personal that are going to repeated how many times over and at what cost? District personal make more money than those in the schools. If we are truly concern about our kids and grandkids we need to lower class sizes so regular students receive the best education possible, while also providing the best services to those students who have special needs. I don't see how creating and duplicating district personal and superindenents are going to get more of our tax money where it is needed; to kids and teachers in the classroom. Perhaps political agendas are more important than kids.

How long do you think Mayor Cullimore will be content being part of a "large" east-side district? I'm sure laws will change soon so a city the size of, oh say, Cottonwood Heights, can have its very own school district (and police force and sewer district and...)

East siders want it both ways. They want a smaller school district so they don't have to deal with those west siders and they want vouchers so they can get a tax credit so they can get subsidized in sending their children to a private school if they don't like the new district. Either way it seems they want the less financially blessed to have to pay the cost for their decision. I'm voting NO on both issues.

The district split, like the pro-voucher movement seems to only be about the haves against the have -less-thans and the few that want to wield their power to have things their way at the expense of what is best for the whole. It is indicative of our selfish, self serving society and too many of our lawmakers at the legislature are promoters of the haves always getting their way because they enable them with their lack of statesmanship and integrity.

Is anyone else disgusted by many of our legislative leaders--unfortunately, the worst seem to be my Republican elitists that have sold out to a group of people like Parents for Choice that paid for their campaigns and put so many of them into office to do the bidding of the selfish few and seem to be willing to stoop so low to get their own way that nothing is too rotten for them and no lie to get what they want has gone unspoken.

JSD bigshots are jsut worried about their jobs. Checks out Utahs right to know and you will see what some of these clowns are making, thatis where all our money is going to line their pockets.

What did our forefathers fight and give their lives for in the Boston Tea Party and the American Revolution? Let me remind you: "No taxation without representation!"
I live in Herriman and am disgusted and outraged with the lack of equality in voice and vote on this JSD district split. Any right-minded citizen of this nation should agree with this basic, fundamental right of mine as a voter and citizen in this school district, and might I add, a parent of children in this area, to have a say and to expect elected representatives of mine to find solutions to these problems and do what's best for the children now and those of the future. Splitting this district only accomplishes myopic agendas of a small portion of this county's population.
DO NOT LET THIS ISSUE REST until it is struck down and we demand that a more fair, long-term plan is presented and given to all the citizens it affects to vote on.

Excuse me gododgers,

If you will look at the ksl web site, they have a unbiased look at the ads on both sides of the voucher issue. It turns out that the anti-voucher adds had the most misrepresentation and false statements. Who are the liars here? I am voting for vouchers because I want my children to stay in the public schools. Competition fosters efficiency and excellence and we need more of that in our public schools. Why am I selfish because I want better teachers and a better school? Maybe you need to read the bill again and stop taking the anti-voucher ads at face value, because much of the info is false and misleading. Vouchers will help our public schools not hurt them.