To that end, various community officials have met behind closed doors to review the draft of a small school-district feasibility study - and to determine the best way to release its findings to those potential voters early next month.
The broad-based review is expected to shed light on the impacts of such a split on Alta, Cottonwood Heights, Draper, Midvale, Sandy and small portions of the county.
"There will be information in the study that will address financial, program and human-resource issues, so people can see exactly what's implied . . . how [the split] would affect the new west district and east district," said Cottonwood Heights Mayor Kelvyn Cullimore.
The study was conducted by three consulting firms - Salt Lake City-based Lewis Young Robertson and Burningham, Boulder, Colo.-based Western Demographics and Sandy-based Center for Management and Organizational Effectiveness.
In conjunction with the study's pending release, Dan Jones and Associates will survey 400 area residents over the next two weeks to gauge interest in such a split from the state's largest school district.
Split or no split, Cullimore said residents can expect to see a jump in their taxes to fund renovation of older east-side schools and construction of new school buildings on the county's rapidly growing west side.
The study promises to detail tax impacts from the proposed split in an understandable format, he said.
"People will see we're talking about a percentage - not a doubling - of their entire tax bill," Cullimore said.
He also expects the two newly formed districts would each have adequate critical mass - at least 35,000 students in each - to maintain current programs.
"It's been a long and arduous journey," said Midvale Mayor JoAnne Seghini of the study launched last December, acknowledging that she feels a great sense of loyalty to the Jordan School District.
"We're still trying to make it fair for all concerned," Seghini said.
"It will have advantages for both districts if a split occurs, and that will be up to the voters."
cmckitrick@sltrib.com
What's next
Study presentation
The study will be presented to City/County Councils, 5:30 p.m. May 1, at Sandy City Hall, 10000 Centennial Parkway. (The deadline to submit finalized ballot language to the county is Aug. 1. The general election is Nov. 6.)
* May 16, 7 p.m: Midvale Middle School, 7852 S. Pioneer St., Midvale
* May 29, 7 p.m.: Juan Diego 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
Other studies have looked at district splits
Jordan is not the only school district in which cities have considered splitting off.
Other cities have commissioned a feasibility study similar to the one in Jordan district. Holladay and South Salt Lake teamed with portions of unincorporated Salt Lake County to research a possible split from the Granite School District - the state's second-largest school district.
That preliminary study, conducted by Karen Wikstrom of Salt Lake City-based Wikstrom Economic & Planning Consultants, is expected to be ready for public release by Friday.
After a period of public comment, the final report will be generated, according to Holladay Mayor Dennis Webb. Their timeline also is driven by the opportunity to get the issue on November's ballot.
