"I am bothered by it because I think we need alternative schools," she said. "There are going to be some . . . students who are going to be lost without this school."

Murray School District is making changes at Creekside as part of an effort to identify and help struggling students before they reach high school.

Starting next fall, Creekside will have no principal and no staff except for two teachers. Officials estimate more than half of its 100 students will be relocated.

The school will become a Murray High School satellite program, and students will have to decide whether to go to Murray High, stay at Creekside with fewer services or go to another alternative high school in a different district.

Eventually, Creekside may close altogether.

As part of the plan many of Creekside's services will move to Murray district's two junior high schools, said Steven Hirase, the district's assistant superintendent.

"Around the junior high years, it's a turbulent time . . . and we want to approach [struggling students] in a different way as opposed to getting at them after the fact," he said.

The district also wants to offer Creekside's services, such as the General Equivalency Diploma prep course, to all students in the district, so some of the programs will be offered at Murray High.

But parents who have children at Creekside are concerned downsizing the school and possibly closing it would be a mistake.

"These kids need a different environment, they need to have more of a personal relationship with their teachers. How can they do that at Murray High?" Hart asked. "Murray High School is wonderful but it's huge and there are so many long-term effects this will have."

The changes are not meant to harm Creekside students, Hirase said. He stressed the changes are not a way for the district to save money. In fact, implementing the new plan may cost a little more because a social worker and additional counselors will have to be hired at the junior high level, he said.

At the junior high level, schools will offer classes called "School Success" that will focus on study skills, homework monitoring and time management.

Shauna Ballou, Riverview Junior High principal, said struggling students will be identified starting in sixth grade.

"The most important thing for at-risk kids is they have to have a connection to a caring adult," she said. "We are going to catch more kids than we have ever caught before."

Jennifer Kranz, principal at Creekside, said she agrees, but she has mixed feelings about the changes.

She thinks it's a great idea to help younger students (she helped create the new system,) but she is concerned about Creekside students.

"I am not happy that my school is being closed," she said. "Some of these kids have been successful here for the first time and they are fearful of what will happen. Some of them have already shut down and I keep trying to assure them they will not be forgotten."

enardi@sltrib.com