There are none. This will be a huge mistake.

Take heart, West Jordan. There are wonderful pros, and many Utahns who have experienced or explored smaller localized districts in other parts of the country can attest to that. Don't cling to the existing system out of fear. Don't hide from the future. Go to these meetings prepared to listen and learn and help shape it!

The East side people should vote no on any bond issue for the West side.

Yes, let's see. A smaller school district will have adminsitrative costs now associated with exdisting school district. But an even bigger issue is the many programs that will be lost because there isn't enough enrollment to justify them. A smaller tax base to pay the costs of operating and maintaining schools. I could go on and on. I grew up in a small town where every town had its own school district. The big towns next to ours had a whole lot more advantages than we did. I also now live in a town with a small dirstrict -- my neighbor's children had to send her kids to the neighboring district to get some of the services they needed -- like gifted programs. Instead of ripping the big district people ought to get involved and take advantage of economy of scale and student opportunities. Jordan District is a fine school district and to rip it into shreds is foolhardy.

In a time when Districts are being consolidated to improve services around the nation, our citizens are looking to do the opposite--Divide one of the most successful large Districts in the nation. At jeopardy will be the success of our children from the highest graduation rates last year, and high achievement on College Prep. studies and Advanced Placement.

I guess it could turn out okay. But I always live by the adage to let sleeping babies lie. By picking the baby up what once was working wonderfully may not operate so well and those that forced the split will ultimately be blamed. I encourage every citizen of the areas voting on splitting to attend.

Amen to Righto and Anonymous. Jordan School District is not broken. I am proud to be a school administrator in Jordan School District -- one of the top performing (and most efficient)districts in the country. Being an administrator in JSD means my teachers, my students, my staff, my parents, myself and my entire community have access to the myriad of district support services we need to sustain and continuously improve our school. Because I am in JSD, I have highly qualified professionals backing me up in the recruitment and hiring of great teachers; the administration of (and accountability to) state and federal testing; professional development for my staff; technology support, instructional media support, special educaion services, student intervention services; alternative language and gifted and talented services; transportation and nutriton services ... just to name a few. If my city withdraws from the district, the new district either finds the funding to duplicate these services or we are left to flounder without them. If there are benefits to be gained by splitting the district, they certainly will not be immediate. Guaranteed is the fact that things will get worse before they get better. Our children will be the victims.