Last November, the district's east-side municipalities of Cottonwood Heights, Draper, Sandy and Midvale, voted to split the district. As called for by the state law, transition teams representing the prospective new districts have since formed to fairly divide the existing district's assets. The two sides must reach agreement by this August, with assets distributed by July of next year.
On Tuesday, some district voters will get to choose who they want to serve on the boards that will represent each district. Here's what you need to know about the process.
What are you voting for? Tuesday's vote for Jordan candidates is a general, or final, election and will result in boards for the new east-side district and what remains of the original Jordan district on the west. (This is a primary election only for other school board races in the county .) The Jordan boards will oversee budget and policy matters for the two districts beginning next school year although the new districts won't be operational until July 2009. Only some precincts are voting because members of the existing Jordan Board of Education will continue to represent voters in the other precincts. The existing board will serve a concurrent year alongside the new east- and west-side district boards, disbanding once the new boards have assumed full duties.
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Where does the district split stand? West-side school district residents and elected officials worry the split will leave their growing schools with less money than before, while residents of the new east-side district hope their taxes will go down. The west side has complained since November's east-side-only vote that the process was stacked against them. The city of Herriman went so far as to take its case to Denver's 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing, unsuccessfully, that the November vote was unconstitutional. The west side has requested a special session of the Utah Legislature to reconsider the bill that put the split in motion.
In the meantime, transition team members for the east side have grown impatient with the process for dividing the district's assets and have asked for a state-mandated arbitration process to allocate the district's buildings, bond proceeds and financial commitments.
Despite the sour moods on both sides, there's no sign yet Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. will call for a special legislative session to put the split on hold. "If there's consensus among lawmakers that a special session is needed, then we'd listen to that request. At this time we've not heard it," said Lisa Roskelley, the governor's spokesperson.
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Where can you vote? If you're a registered voter in Salt Lake County, you're already on the official register at your polling place if you met the June 9 deadline for registration. A polling location notice should have arrived in your mail by now. However, if you've been registered to vote anywhere in Utah previously and have not yet registered at your new address, you may show up at your new polling place to vote on a provisional ballot. You may find your registration status and polling location, as well as a sample ballot for your address, by visiting www.clerk.slco.org. You may also phone the county's election division at 801-468-3427 with any questions.
Is this a partisan or nonpartisan election? Tuesday's vote is nonpartisan. No proof of political party membership is required.
Where can you find more information? Read profiles of all the Jordan candidates at www.sltrib.com/education. Learn more about other school board races in Salt Lake County at www.clerk.slco.org.
