As of late Monday, it appeared Granite High School may be among schools the board votes to shutter, but board members ended a tense and sometimes tearful evening work session without giving a clear indication of how they intend to cast their votes.

Two of the three most likely school closure scenarios would close Granite, a junior high and three elementary schools. The third option would close Woodstock and Hill View elementaries, consolidate three others and rebuild a smaller Granite.

All school-closure plans also involve significant districtwide boundary changes to deal with an estimated 9,000 empty seats a study found in the Granite School District, which serves about 69,000 suburban Salt Lake students.

Board members Hank Bertoch, Sarah Meier and Julene Jolley appear poised to vote to close Granite, arguing that keeping the school open would be too expensive given its enrollment. In addition, Bertoch believes the district should work to integrate low-income students who now attend Granite into other district schools.

Board President Patti Sandstrom argues against Granite's closure, saying she fears some of its students may drop out if forced to attend other schools where they may not benefit from the same small-school atmosphere.

Two others board members, Carole Cannon and Connie Burgess, favor changes that may enable the district to avoid closures altogether. Board member Judy Weeks appears undecided.

The decision is an emotional one, to be sure. A Monday morning session that started out strained only worsened, and board members ended up rescheduling the gathering for later in the day.

That the discussion has even progressed to today's vote, however, rankles parents who question why a critical decision is occurring amid the preoccupations of election night and in an atmosphere in which earlier board communications suggested public input would be gathered tonight and an actual vote would not occur until Nov. 29.

"It [tonight's intended vote] certainly comes as a great surprise. Maybe they don't need three more weeks to realize that closing schools is a mistake," said Michelle Davidson, a member of the Friends for Education Coalition. The group representing parents in the areas of Olympus and Skyline high schools argues the disruption closing schools would cause is not worth the estimated $3 million a year it would save.

Sandstrom said the board always intended the closure decision to be final by the end of

this month. That means an initial vote must occur tonight and a final vote must take place at the board's next regularly scheduled meeting.

"We've always had it that way. That's the way our schedule always goes."

She said she knows many patrons will want to address the board, but she was uncertain Monday how much public input will be taken.

"Some of the board members have said they've had enough public input," she said.

Those wishing to comment can sign up until noon today at district offices, and 40 already had signed up as of late Monday.

Sandstrom doesn't believe election night is a factor. "We are going to go so late that the polls will close before we finish. People will be popping in and out to check on results but that will be fine."

Alan Tingey, also a member of Friends for Education, has signed up to speak.

"It's their choice, but it seems logical to take public comment when they are trying to coalesce around a singular option," he said.

Julia Tillou, who supports an option that closes Granite High and Wasatch Junior High, is not surprised a decision will be made today.

"I don't know if three weeks would have achieved anything. We may not find ourselves very happy after the decision, but I'm kind of relieved that it's coming to a head now," she said.

smcfarland@sltrib.com

Granite school closure vote

The Granite Board of Education is expected to decide which schools it will close to address declining enrollment.

When: 7 p.m. today.

Where: Granite Education Center, board auditorium, 2500 S. State St., South Salt Lake.