But two feasibility studies show the flip side of the sweet deal east-side taxpayers might get by splitting from Granite or Jordan districts: a bitter serving of higher taxes and greater debt for west-siders.
The burden of funding the state's public schools should be distributed as equally as possible. To that end, the Legislature should rethink the law that lets established communities form new districts and escape sharing the cost of necessary new schools in growing west-side neighborhoods.
Dissatisfied parents believe breaking up the state's huge school districts - specifically Jordan and Granite - would improve education, and they may be right. Jordan, with nearly 80,000 students, Granite with 69,000 and Davis with 62,000 are probably too big. Parents and students can feel like insignificant cogs in wheels that size.
Research shows districts of between 15,000 and 25,000 students can be more responsive to students and parents and still benefit from economies of scale.
But this law is not the best way to cut districts down to size. A State Board of Education policy for splitting districts when they reach a certain size makes more sense than a law crafted by the Legislature. The state board is discussing such a policy now.
Data collected in the two recent studies show the need for such an objective division of districts. Last week's report shows that if five cities and unincorporated areas break off from Jordan District, taxpayers in the remaining district would have to shoulder the expense of building 25 new schools, while residents of the new district likely would see their property taxes drop.
An earlier report showed an even larger disparity between the tax burden for what would remain of the Granite District on the west side if east-side communities broke off.
The east-side secessionists say they don't want to hurt their west-side neighbors. We trust their good intentions, but are concerned that the lure of paying less for more might prove too great.
Letting the state school board sort it out would be a better solution.
