A comprehensive study that weighs the pros and cons of a possible east-west breakup of the Jordan School District is scheduled to be released this evening.
The word Monday was that the lengthy report, about 150 pages, was not quite ready and consultants were scrambling to finish it up.
"Some significant issues were found last week," said Cottonwood Heights Mayor Kelvyn Cullimore, describing last-minute revisions being made to the hefty document.
The document has been kept under tight wraps. After tonight's release, officials will schedule several town-hall meetings later this month. The Jordan district, the state's largest, makes up the southern third of Salt Lake County.
Release of the Jordan study follows closely on the heels of a Granite School District breakup review, also to be discussed today in council chambers at the Salt Lake County Government Complex. That session is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
"Are we asking the right questions and getting the right answers? That will be the agenda" of today's Granite and Jordan sessions, said Dave Delquadro, fiscal analyst for the Salt Lake County Council.
That study looked at a possible Granite breakup that would require Holladay, South Salt Lake and Millcreek Township - everything east of the Jordan River in that mid-valley district, the state's second largest - to form their own.
The study found that the new east district would fare well from such a breakup, but the west side would struggle, its residents facing hefty tax increases to pay for new-school construction.
Meanwhile, Cottonwood Heights Councilman Scott Bracken said he didn't expect to see such a stark east-west contrast in the Jordan study.
"In the preliminary draft, median incomes for the east and west were only $700 apart," Bracken said, the east side coming in at $62,504, the west at $61,781.
Bracken said the draft, released to the steering committee on April 18 and reviewed behind closed doors, showed that Jordan's east side has 57 percent of the district's tax base and 43 percent of its enrollment.
"Those numbers may change slightly," Bracken said.
cmckitrick@sltrib.com
* WHAT: Meeting to unveil study about southeast Salt Lake County communities breaking away from the Jordan School District to form their own
* WHO: Consultants and city/county councils for Alta, Cottonwood Heights, Draper, Midvale, Sandy and pieces of unincorporated Salt Lake County
* WHEN: 5:30 p.m. today
* WHERE: Sandy City Hall, 10000 Centennial Parkway
meetings later this month
* May 16, 7 p.m., Midvale Middle School, 7852 S. Pioneer St., Midvale
* May 29, 7 p.m., Juan Diego Catholic High School, 300 E. 11800 South, Draper
* May 30, 7 p.m., Butler Middle School, 7530 S. 2700 East, Cottonwood Heights
* May 31, 7 p.m., Eastmont Middle School, 10100 S. 1300 East, Sandy
A Granite breakup study meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Salt Lake County Government Complex council chambers, 2001 S. State St. The review can be seen online at www.wepc.biz.
