SANDY - They didn't say a word about the possibility of Sandy bolting from the Jordan School District.

The fact that elected officials didn't broach the topic during a sit-down with their Jordan school board counterparts doesn't mean a secession is dead. Truth be told, Sandy has spent some dough to figure out if the city can run a school district better than the Jordan board.

"This is so premature, so beginning," said Byron Jorgenson, Sandy's chief administrative officer.

It may be just the start, but clearly no one from the City Council or mayor's office is dumping the idea of dropping out of the Jordan School District.

Sandy has spent roughly $7,000 on a consultant who will look at the "impacts and finances" of a Sandy school district. The city hired the same consultant looking at the possibility in neighboring Cottonwood Heights.

It's not news to the Jordan School District because Jorgenson has talked with Superintendent Barry Newbold about the study.

"It's my understanding the cities are gathering information so officials can be responsive to citizens," Newbold said. "It's wise and appropriate to have information."

Seceding from school districts has been a popular topic lately for cities. South Salt Lake, Holladay and Orem have recently spent money on studies looking at the potential of forming their own districts. Officials from West Jordan and West Valley City also have talked about the possibility but haven't spent any money.

The studies are fueled by recent legislation that gave cities the ability to break away and form their own districts.

The legislation requires a city to have at least 65,000 residents to set up its own school system. Smaller cities can band together to reach that total.

Sandy - it has nearly 100,000 residents - can go alone or join up with a neighbor like Cottonwood Heights.

What's driving the talk in Sandy is growth in the Jordan school district.

Newbold said the district is going to need to build 35 new schools in the coming decade to keep pace with new students.

"There's really unprecedented, rapid growth," Newbold said.

The worry in Sandy, however, is that none of that growth is happening within the city's borders. The vast majority of that population boom is on the opposite side of the valley in Bluffdale, Herriman, Riverton and South Jordan.

The city is wondering aloud, why should Sandy residents be asked to pay additional property taxes for schools nowhere near their community.