Some Granite School District elementary schools could shut down for the 2026-27 school year as officials consider consolidating campuses because of declining enrollment.
The district, which serves much of northern Salt Lake County, currently is studying the populations of its 10 easternmost elementary schools, looking at that enrollment drop and other shifting demographics. All sit within “Area 5” of its current boundaries — neighborhoods roughly beyond 1300 East, including Emigration Canyon.
The schools include Cottonwood, Crestview, Driggs, Eastwood, Morningside, Oakridge, Oakwood, Penn, Rosecrest and Upland Terrace elementaries.
What could come of that population study remains unclear. A formal recommendation is expected later this summer; it will be presented by the district’s Population Analysis Committee, which handles annual school-boundary reviews and gathers community feedback.
The committee could recommend that the district further study certain schools for closure. But it’s also possible the group may suggest school boundary adjustments, which may not result in closed campuses, said Andrea Stringham, a district spokesperson.
The Granite School District Board of Education will then need to vote on whether to move forward with the committee’s population study recommendation.
“The main thing is, and we’re seeing it not just in Granite School District, but you know, across the state, across the nation, is declining enrollment,” Stringham said.
Salt Lake City School District, for instance, decided in early 2024 to shutter four elementary schools at the close of the 2023-24 academic year. Two were on the west side, while another two sat on the east. The closures followed December 2022 findings from state auditors, who criticized the district for spending millions to keep schools open that were losing students.
In Granite School District, the 10 elementary schools under population review have seen “split grades” caused by dwindling enrollment, Stringham said. That means students in different grades are being taught in the same classroom by the same teacher.
“There’s not as many staff to help with projects, activities, different things like that,” Stringham said.
‘Difficult decision’
The district committee began studying the 10 schools’ populations in February. Since then, it has hosted at least two open houses to help inform the public.
Another open house is scheduled for Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the Wasatch Junior High School auditorium. Granite Superintendent Ben Horsley plans to be there to answer questions and listen to feedback.
“School closures — nobody likes to do them,” Stringham said. “Our board certainly does not enjoy doing anything like this. It’s a really difficult decision to make.”
She added that staff and administrators working at the elementary schools support the committee’s review.
“They advocated to have this area studied, because they’re living it every day — of how strained their resources are and how burnt out the teachers are,” Stringham said.
Next steps
If the committee this summer recommends studying certain schools for closure, and Granite’s school board agrees, additional feedback — especially from those directly impacted by potential changes — will be gathered and recorded.
The committee will then use that input to refine its suggestions and deliver its final recommendation to the board during a meeting that will likely take place in September, Stringham said.
Should the school board accept that final recommendation, the school board would then need to vote to notify all affected parents of its intentions, according to state law.
The board would then need to wait at least 90 days before voting to shutter any schools.