It is a committee made up of approximately 30 people, representing a cross-section of GSD leadership, including PTA and Granite Education Association. The PAC receives and then vets ideas for boundary studies. The director of Planning & Boundaries chairs this committee and makes recommendations to the GSD Board.

The purpose of this study is to analyze elementary school enrollments in the 3500 S. corridor area and consider options (including boundary adjustments and/or school closures) to enhance educational outcomes and better serve the students attending these schools. Spanish DLI has also been a major focus in this area.

The main factors include, but are not limited to:

• Student opportunities for success
• Enrollment and programming
• Contiguous boundaries
• Transportation issues
• Safe walking routes
• Feeder patterns
• Fiscal considerations
• Long-term impact on communities

Granite School District considers a school “small” when there are less than an average of three teachers per grade level at most grades. Some of the challenges we have documented over the years in small schools include, but are not limited to:

• Split grade-level classrooms
• Lack of parental choice to increase student success
• Proven methods of staff collaboration are much less effective, or even non-existent
• Reduced funding per pupil, which impacts the ability to provide extra staffing and program supports.
• Harder to maintain effective school community councils, PTA’s, and other parent volunteer groups.
• Teacher work-load concerns- fewer teachers and staff to fill the same number of committee assignments required for all schools.

Declining enrollment is an issue not just for Granite School District, but throughout many parts of the country.

The reason for the decline is a combination of declining birth rates, a maturing population, student mobility, and the increase in charter school enrollment, among other factors.

Yes. The Planning & Boundaries department works with local municipalities and monitors new residential development on a regular basis.

Granite School District is generally disinclined to sell properties. Granite often chooses to place other district programs and operations in closed schools. The district continues to maintain the building and property to safe community standards. In instances when the facility is too old to be used or maintained, buildings could be demolished, and the property maintained as a park by the city or county while the district retains ownership. In the event the Board does decide to “surplus” (or sell) a property, the local city or municipality has first rights to purchase in accordance with state law.

A baseline for building capacity starts with the number of classrooms multiplied by the average number of students per classroom. However, a building’s true capacity is determined by many more variables that are considered on a school-by-school basis.

No. More students mean more teachers/resources. Teachers are assigned on a per-student basis. GSD elementary school teachers are allocated on a student-to-teacher ratio of 27.25 students per teacher. More students equals more teachers, not larger class sizes.

Almost without exception, teachers and staff will still be employed by GSD. Human Resources will work with each employee to determine the specific placement.

We encourage everyone to use our Comments and Feedback form to make suggestions/provide feedback to the PAC and Granite School Board members. Or if you are unable to access the link, email feedback directly to boundaries@graniteschools.org

The creation of multiple DLI programs in close proximity over the past 15 years, combined with declining enrollment in this area, has created a need to study the long-term viability of each program.

By providing a school that focuses on one program, our students will continue to receive the advantages of learning a second language without the traditional small school concerns.

See below for information regarding the benefits of DLI programs:

• DLI Myths and Facts
• Employability Skills + World Languages
• Benefits of Language Learning
• 10 Reasons Why You Should Learn a Foreign Language

The PAC is recommending that the magnet school have at least some busing provided. However, because so-called specialty (magnet) schools do not qualify for state reimbursement on busing routes, the final decision on busing will be determined in the December Board meeting on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, 7:00 pm.

All other schools would continue to have busing routes for those students determined by GSD’s Transportation Department to live more than 1.5 miles from their assigned boundary school.

See the map attachments below for specific areas of the study:

• A proposed school closure (Orchard Elementary) with boundary adjustments to Copper Hills, Whittier, and Wright elementary schools. Proposed Orchard closure map (PDF)
• A proposed school closure (Redwood Elementary) with boundary adjustments to Granger, Stansbury, and Wilson elementary schools. Proposed Redwood closure map (PDF)
• A proposed school closure (Valley Crest Elementary) with boundary adjustments to Armstrong and Monroe elementary schools. Proposed Valley Crest closure map-new Monroe Boundary (PDF)
• A proposed school opening of a DLI Spanish Magnet School at the current Valley Crest campus. Proposed DLI Spanish Magnet school map and info (PDF)
• Other boundary adjustments include:
  o Portions of Pleasant Green Elementary to Lake Ridge Elementary map (PDF)
  o Portions of Redwood and Walker to Lincoln and Wilson Elementary schools. Map (PDF)
• The DLI programs at Hillsdale and Monroe will be discontinued as a result of the above changes. Proposed DLI Spanish Magnet school map and info (PDF)
• Secondary boundary changes include: (click link for maps)
  • portions of West Lake Junior / Granger High to Hunter Junior / Hunter High School – map (PDF).
  • portions of Granite Park Junior to Valley Junior – map (PDF)
  • portions of Matheson Junior to Hunter Junior – map (PDF).
• Full Map of 3500 S. Corridor Study- map (PDF)

Valley Crest was chosen largely based on its geographic location as the furthest west of the 4 DLI Schools under study and the ability to handle increased traffic flow to and from the school.

The school rebuild list, originally created in 2017 as part of the Voter Information Packet and later adjusted in 2019 by the Board of Education, has remained consistent since that update. The district acknowledges the importance of re-evaluating the status of schools on this list, particularly those being considered for closure. This review will be conducted by our internal departments, with additional input from real estate committees and facility-focused working groups, and will operate independently of the PAC process. As we approach critical deadlines, we will carefully review each school’s status to align with the broader needs of the district.

See question 3 regarding factors considered for boundary changes or closures.