By Sara Israelsen
Decreasing enrollment numbers may force Jordan School District to close doors on some half-capacity elementary and middle schools beginning Fall 2005.
Despite a population influx in the southern areas of the district, the north and northeast are falling behind, forcing K-9 schools to function at an average of 76 percent capacity.
Closing schools isn”t a money-saving step but rather a redirection of funds, said Melinda Colton, spokeswoman for Jordan School District.
If two schools were closed, the district would have 18 million dollars, and while not a cash rebate for tax payers, the money would be poured back into projects such as renovations or building new schools. The closing of four schools would allow $43 million for reallocation and the ultimate step of closing 15 schools would free $145 million. However, Colton emphasized that the district would never close 15 schools.
“I call it option E for extreme,” she said. “It would be maximum efficiency but terrible schedules for everyone.”
Although closing 15 schools would allow for $145 million reallocated dollars, it would come with another price, as it would put all students on a year-round schedule, place six portable classrooms at every school, start bussing and change as many as 50 boundary lines.
“What I see the district doing is closing somewhere in the neighborhood of 2-6 [schools],” Colton said. Despite rumors, there is no list of possible school closings, and the board is waiting for parental input before any future steps are taken.
Motivation for the possible closures comes from a decrease in population in the north area of the 250 square mile district. Pockets in West Jordan, Sandy, Midvale and Cottonwood Heights are the specific areas with declining enrollment. These areas are home to older retired couples who are now empty nesters.
“The mature neighborhoods take about 10-15 years to cycle out,” said West Jordan High principal Paul Argyle. When young families move into the north, even with a 5-year-old child, it is still 10 years before Argyle will see that student at his high school.
It”s the empty nest neighborhoods that don”t fill school classrooms, and the cost of keeping buildings half-full is an issue for the school district.
“You”ve got multiple ideas and philosophies,” Argyle said. “Do you maintain schools in the neighborhood or do you try to maintain an economically efficient business?” He said if schools want to be fiscally prudent, lean, mean financial machines, they need to close some buildings and redistrict.
No decision will be made until parents in the respective districts have voiced their opinions at a series of meetings, being held Thursday at West Jordan High Commons Area, May 5 at Jordan High Commons Area and May 6 at Brighton High Cafeteria.
“This has really stirred the pot a lot – exactly what we wanted to do,” Colton said. “We want their input. A lot of people come to us, say, ”Can”t you be more efficient with my tax dollars,” so in fairness to those people, we are simply studying the issue, which is the responsible thing to do.”
The district will decide what to do depending on the input of concerned parents and community leaders.
“I think the district is going about it the right way,” Richard Allred, principal of Bluffdale Elementary said. “What they”re hoping to do right now is get additional input so all elements of the district will have given that input. I think whatever comes out of it will be something that the patrons and the board will feel good about.”
