Reader comments
Are small districts better?

I think smaller districts would be better. Cause I think the Granite District is overwhelmed with everything. That's why nothing has changed here, no matter what a parent writes or tells them.

Give me an example of the type of community issues that a smaller district might be more responsive to.

I am amazed at how many people want to have their own little kingdoms. Why not do take this approach: Increase the number of JSD board members....so that those needs that need to be addressed are doing so? This district split is just going to mean that we are going to have to come up with $144 million dollars to do in 3 districts what is currently done in 1??? I know that the JSD school board is notoriously infamous for not listening to their constituents but for goodness sake...VOTE THEM OUT and vote in a new board and increase the number of members.

In Utah there are not a lot of 1-a schools because it does not seem like every small town has a high school honeyville, bothwell, syracause west point don't seem like they have high schools.

Contrast that to Idaho were Murtaugh, Hansen, Kimberly, Dietrich, Richfield, Shoshone, Carey and several small towns near boise have high schools.

moves to consolidate them have been fought hard. In minidoka county they succeeded in consolidating the district in the 1950's to one school and I heard it hurt the communities that lost there High schools. School is in middle of nowere too.

Towns are close but there are people that travel 20 miles to go to school as well.

If we split off from Jordan District, how much will it cost to rebuild much of the infrastructure already in place? Won't we still have the same class sizes as we do plan on keeping all of our kids on the east side? Are we positive that special programs and services will not be cut? Won't we still be responsible to re-build and renovate all of these existing buildings that we are complaining about? How long will of this take?

I'm voting no.

There are plenty of benefits for a large district. Resources are easier to come by and the administrative costs are minimal when compared to that of a smaller district. A new district will need new facilities and infrastructure...I guess the new district could use Cottonwood High School

are you willing to pay the millions it will take to get a smaller school district. New districts will have to start from scratch. you will have to pay through the nose. there has got to be a better way to settour problemsled . i am concerned that my eastside neighbors are not educated enough about what lies ahead for us if we split.

I'm still not sure why Mayor Cullimore thinks a smaller districts equals smaller class sizes. You can certainly have smaller class sizes at the expense of something else. And a smaller school does not mean smaller class sizes. Class sizes across Jordan District are all the same. I live in Draper and I fear that our growing needs will not be met, especially when cities like Cottonwood Heights are losing students. New schools should be built in Draper, but won't be because Cottonwood Heights won't be willing to close any of their schools. Even in a smaller district, my individual city's needs will not be met. I will vote no and stay with a district that I know is tried and true. I am not willing to risk my student's educational future on something that needs more discussion and fairer legislation.

No great revelation but your math does not work.

"The new east district would have about 33,500 students � a far cry from the some 80,000 in Jordan District now � and become Utah's fifth-largest. A West Jordan District would have about 21,000 students.

Remaining Jordan District � consisting of Bluffdale, Herriman, Riverton, South Jordan and unincorporated west-side communities � would have about 25,000 students."

Will the new district have 21,000 or 25,000? And if the the new East district has 35,000 wouldn't it be 80,000-35,000=45,000?

I think small districts are going to be more responsive but does that translate to better schools?

Every public school should be structured like public charter schools are.

They are each considered individual districts, just as accountable to the office of education, but more importantly accountable to the parents.

If a teacher isn't teaching they are let go immediately, the students year of education is not sacrificed the adult that is not performing is held accountable.

If the teacher is performing they are often given a bonus.

Parents have access to the governing board on a regular basis, most are parents of students attending the school or successful members of the community.

The point is, when a need arises the board can respond quickly.

The funding for our schools is always so top-heavy. With each district, the largest portions of money go to the salaries of the district leaders then starts to trickle down from there where it finally reaches our teachers and in the end, our children. No matter how large or small a district is, there are only so many buildings and so many classrooms. Having larger districts should translate into more money for the bottom line with is our kids. Parents need to be more involved and their input more respected by those high paid top district leaders. Each school should have the right to have the flavor that the parents decide they want, not the district. It is throwing needed money away to start thinking that we need to run around and start cutting up our districts into smaller chunks. I have been an involved parent in one of the largest districts in Utah. Our school runs very well, the way we parents, who are involved, think it should. If you don't like how things are going, you need to join some committees and start voicing your opinion. Stop thinking that you can just pay to make a difference.

I'm not against a split but I am against a split at this time. This has been a knee jerk reaction and a decision to split is a permanent decision. There is not enough information available at this time. Let's vote "no" for now to any split and do our homework. Our children deserve better but let's find the best way to give it to them.

I agree with anonymous, one point they left out that has to be understood about charter schools is...
Charter Schools SAVE a ton of money because their governing board serves the school for free. There is no waste in district level administration cost. All the money goes to the school and into it's classroom!

I love the veil of "smaller more responsive district." Lets be honest. The real reason is that the West Side is a drain on the resources of the East Side for schools, taxes, and just about everything. So the wealthier East Side wants to break away to reap the benefits. Logical. Anyone that doesn't know that there is a massive difference in schools on the Eastern Bench and on the West Side is oblivious.

BTW, I grew up in Utah, went to East Side schools and have since left the state. Our educational system needs revamping and it significantly lacks every state that I have lived in since (MA, CA, CO, IL). I currently live in Los Altos, CA; a northern California "Silicon Valley" area which has the Los Altos school district. A TINY school district, but among the best in the state. Again a few factors dominate: wealth and a dedication by the community and parents to education. Both missing on the West Side.

Adding more administration per student will waste a lot of money. School districts should not be split at this time. First, solve the problem of underfunding.

One way to improve Utah's public schools is to model them after a more successful state, such as Wyoming. How can Utah generate more revenue? How can class sizes be reduced and teacher pay improved? Those are the issues that must be addressed and splitting districts would be a deterrent to that goal.

Who says a smaller district will be responsive? A new school board may have just as many politics and one city more represented than another. People are expecting some things that may or may not happen.

As I have said before, I am not a resident of the school district and I have no problem if the residents of the district want to make a split.

I do have a problem with the concept that only part of the people involved get to vote on whether or not to make that split.

I think it creates a bad example of government for the children (throughout the State) especially when the possibility of taxation is involved. It seems to me that I was taught "taxation without representation" was wrong, but as a outsider it looks to me that the "east siders" will be voting to increase taxes on the "west side" and the "west side" has no say in what will be done to them. Shame on the Utah State Legislature!

Maybe the decision would be a little different if the vote was to start a "NEW" district & the "EXISTING" district gets to keep all the resources that it presently has from texbooks, libraries, computers, school busses etc. At least you wouldn't have to paint a new name on the busses that way(satire?).

To me, it doesn't look like a wise decision at present-Vote NO

Schools might actually be willing participants in community activities - plays (not school produced) and arts, community gathering places, etc.
How about dealing with local traffic/other issues in HS neighborhoods rather than the "it's off my property, so I don't care" attitude of many JSD High School principals. Murry District even goes so far as to share maintenance and public works type costs/overhead with the city - saving money.

In short a more focused district will be willing to join in and be an integral part of the community rather than simply a place all the kids go for 8 hours on a school day.

Ed: The number of School Boards members is set by state law to seven (7). That is why a JSD school board member represents more people than your state senator! With the 40% growth over the next 10 years, the number of citizens each representative will represent will increase as well. The ONLY way to bring representation closer to home is to create new/smaller districts.

No rebuilding of infrastructure - it's already in place. Some will likely need to be spent for new administrative offices (on the west side) and things like that, however those decisions will ultimately be up to the new board. The current admin office could use a major facelift, so getting a new one on the west-side could be viewed as a bonus.
Initially class sizes won't change - who knows in ten years.
Services won't need to be cut. If the 5th largest district in the state can't support necessary services then the other 35 smaller districts in Utah are sure short-changing their kids, don't you think?
Refurbishing/Rebuilding buildings is a core issue for many. It simply is NOT happening with the status quo. If a new district is created, the O&M tax funds paid in the new district will automatically go to handle these needs. Right now those funds paid by the east side go to cover cost-overruns on west-side construction. It's over $18,000,000 a year. Doing it ourselves will certainly take LESS time that putting it off a minimum of 10 years for JDS to do it.
Remember Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt are all the opposition offers.