Comments about ‘Riverton is losing allies in split fight’

This should be an interesting legal challenge. It isn't about violating the 14th amendment, but about whose idea of a 14th amendment violation the courts will decide is the more egregious. I'd like to ask mayor Applegarth if Riverton is willing to allow the cities on the east side of Jordan to veto, or at least have a vote in, Riverton's growth policies.

All the talk I've heard centers around taxes and control. I've not heard how slpitting school districts will help students. Even the feasibility studies don't really address the impact on kids. What if all this political blustering about money and power were directed toward actually making a difference in the classroom? Sorry, just my little dream world.

I applaud Mayor Applegarth for his advocacy of west side residents. If a new district is created without the consent of all whom live within its boundaries, we are allowing a cancellation of our previous votes for our current School Board members. If that is not a violation of our 14th amendment rights, I don't know what is. If all west side cities do not jump on this band wagon, shame on them. I support anyone who is looking out for the rights of all. If roles were reversed, do you not think that east side residents would want to vote on something that would have an adverse affect on them? I thought that after more than 100 years of exceptional service from Jordan School District that we were all in this together. We all helped support rapid east side growth in the 70's and 80's. Where are all of those kids now? Trying to raise their families in west side communities. Where will all of these kids work once grown and out of school? All over the valley and state. Keep in mind that the ultimate goal of education is to ensure the betterment of all. A district split will only reinforce more class segregation and undo a century of community bonding.

Those who are involved in splitting the district do know how it will make a difference. We have been involved with decision making at the district level on many different issues and know that those decisions have a better chance of helping individual students in a smaller district. A smaller district can be more responsive to school or individual issues. For instance class size is determined by the state, but that is an average. The determined class size average right now is about 27, yet no one has classes that small. That is due to district decisions on how those numbers are averaged. They average their cheerleading and government classes with only 10 or 12 students to bring down the total average. A smaller district will be more responsive to it's patrons and can put some limits on class size and change the way they average. We have tried for years to work with the large districts on this, but they are above listening to any individual. I have spent too many years in the dream world and want to change the real one.

The problem is the remainder of the district will not be in the boundries of the new district. If all are allowed to vote I would sure want to be included in the vote to restrict new construction on the west side. Since my tax dollars are going to be needed to build new schools. Oh and by the way if the argument of the west side being there when all the east side schools were built is bunk. When the east side schools were built it was mostly farms on the west side, and besides there are far more schools on the west side versus the east side. Our salaries are the same, my house is a lot smaller than most on the west side, however I pay higher taxes, why because I want to live in an area where my opinion matters when it comes to my childs education.

The effor HAS been made to improve our children's eduction on a local level - it doesn't work nearly as well as it should or could. See "Involved" comments.

The only reason you hear about taxes and control is that's what sells the papers - controversy. The potential impact on education opportunities and services IS addressed in the feasibility study done for the east side of Jordan.

Concerned - it's obvious (as in your statement) you don't understand the 14th amendment, and when the Utah Supreme Court comes down in favor with the AG, Office of Leg Research, Legislature and more, you'll probably figure they're all wrong and somehow you have a better grasp of constitutional law/rights.

The West Side cities not joining the bandwagon are coming to the realization that the East/South/North or others shouldn't feel entitled to veto their self-determination in this and other issues.

Your implication that somehow the west paid for east side schools is STILL wrong and directly contraty to the facts. The East paid for west schools at the same time and, in fact paid a higher percentage of the taxes. Rememer the west side of Jordan has 47% of the schools, yet pays only 43% of the taxes - this is the closest it's EVER been. The disparity is greater the farther back you go (even to when Kennecott was NOT centrally assessed).

The reality is when West Jordan, South Jordan, Taylorville, West Valley, and other cities look and see what advantages a smaller more focused district can bring, many will like the idea and pursue it. NONE will want to come hats out to the east or anyone else to ask their permission to do it. Riverton/Herriman/Bluffdale would see this too if they took the $$$ from their eyes.

This whole thing reminds me of a thief deciding to sit down with the victims and decide which homes to rob.

Maybe one reason the west-side communities are no longer supporting a lawsuit is that they realize a division may be the ONLY way they will be able to obtain the schools they need. For instance, even if they fight the division and succeed, the east-side will no doubt feel indentured and hopeless to the idea that they can control their own destiny. Do you think that would create the environment where east-side residents would then vote for a $779 million bond to pay for schools on the west. Perhaps the west-side is recognizing that it needs to control its own destiny just as much as the east-side also desires to do that.

A couple observations:
It would be better for students overall if the District was split. Smaller districts create more competition for teachers hence higher pay and quality of education for the kids. In addition more local decision making in the school management.
The dirty secret not being discussed here is the City Councils position on growth. Riverton wants to be a large lot area and fought against commmercial development. More homes and more commercial mean more taxes to pay into the system for funding shools. Applegarth and the council blame other cities for thier lack of planning. If they want to increase the tax base to offset the cost they should allow for more affordable housing and greater commercial development. Why do West jordan and South Jordan feel they can make a new district work?? Because they have the commercial and home numbers to cover the costs.

Let's put a few things straight:

West side farmers WERE paying taxes like everyone else to build schools on the East side. So was everyone on the West side (which weren't many people).

The legislature blew it by removing Impact Fees years ago that would have set aside money for high growth areas needing schools. Those should be restored.

The District split is an experiment and with all experiments things could go unexpectedly. Who gets the bond debt? The facilities? And how much more is this going to cost EVERYONE when each city will have the expense of administration. We don't know the answer to a lot of these questions, only that the legislature wants this to go forward and ignored the pleas for clarity.

Jordan ranks as one of the top districts in the nation in graduation rates, college prep and AP courses taken and passed. Why tinker with something that works so well? Would you tear apart an engine of a brand new car just to see if you put it back together if that will make it run better? Tearing apart the district will not guarantee better services or education.

Teachers will be best served by staying with whatever remains of Jordan School District simply because new districts are under no guarantee to match or continue benefits after one year. By splitting costs of recruiting teachers will increase.

In California, developers often pay to build the new schools that their developments require. Why have we let the property developers in Utah off the hook? I do not want to subsidize these organizations by increasing my taxes to pay for new schools on the west side.

Also, having dealt with Jordan School District for a special needs child, I would like to have a local school district that would be more responsive to my child's needs.