They say property tax information is contradictory in the report prepared by split proponents. The report states that in order to continue the current level of funding in the new district, property taxes on the east side would have to increase above the amount currently allowed by law.

That strikes Granite Superintendent Stephen Ronnenkamp as a way of saying it would be impossible to fund the new district because property taxation to pay operational costs already is maxed out.

"The only way for that to work is for the Legislature to change the law or to cut programs and close schools in the new district," he said.

Karen Wikstrom, the report's author, said projected east-side growth will generate new property taxes that would make the new district financially feasible. Only during its first year of operation would a new east-side district be short by about $1 million in operational expenses.

"I couldn't call the new district unfeasible just because it fell 1 percent short during its first year," she said. "It corrects itself after that."

Holladay, South Salt Lake and Salt Lake County councils still must vote to put the district split on the November ballot. Under Utah law, only residents in those cities may vote to form a new east-side district even though other cities would be affected.

Ronnenkamp and his staff also are concerned because splitting the district would mean Cottonwood High School could lose enough students that it may be forced to close. In addition, Bonneville and Granite Park junior highs each would lose about 200 students, suggesting teachers and programs likely would be cut, Ronnenkamp said.

He said a ratio of about 27 students to one teacher is necessary to pay for the teacher, principal, lunch workers, electricity and other operational expenses. While those east-side schools would lose enrollment, they still would have to pay the same amount in utilities and building upkeep but wouldn't have the per-student funding to do so, he said.

"We all would like to run much smaller schools, but it's that operational piece that eats at you," he said.

Wikstrom acknowledged that due to the state funding formula, the ratio of students would have to stay the same in east-side schools, so smaller schools likely wouldn't be a reality in either the new or remaining districts.

"Unless there's a change in how the state funding works, it will be very hard for them," she said.

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* SHEENA MCFARLAND can be contacted at smcfarland@sltrib.com or 801-257-8619.