Two of Granite School District’s easternmost elementary schools could close next school year after district officials this month recommended they shut down.
The schools being eyed for closure based on a recent population study are Eastwood Elementary, at 3305 Wasatch Blvd. in Millcreek, and Morningside Elementary, at 4170 S. 3000 East in Holladay.
Eastwood’s campus would shutter completely, but Morningside’s property would instead host a solely K-5 French dual language immersion program.
Granite’s director of planning and boundaries, Steven Hogan, presented the recommendations to Granite school board members Sept. 2. He also proposed boundary adjustments to Howard R. Driggs and Rosecrest elementary schools to account for the closures.
“It’s difficult,” he said of the proposed closures. “And it can’t be done without everyone’s participation. And it is, as we always know, a tough process.”
Following Hogan’s presentation, the school board unanimously voted to continue studying the recommendations, which is a step forward in the school closure process but not a final decision.
The Granite School District, which serves much of northern Salt Lake County, began studying the populations of its 10 easternmost elementary schools in February, looking at enrollment drops and other shifting demographics.
All sit within “Area 5” of its current boundaries — neighborhoods roughly beyond 1300 East, including portions of Emigration Canyon.
Why Eastwood?
Eastwood has low “utilization,” Hogan explained Sept. 2. That refers to how “full” a school building is while also considering “efficient use of resources and public dollars,” he said.
Ideally, a school should fall somewhere between 80%-90% utilization, which allows some room for potential enrollment growth and program expansion, Hogan said.
Eastwood sits at 54% utilization. And while it has the capacity for about 500 students, only 270 attend, according to study data.
If Eastwood officially shutters, its current boundaries would merge with Oakridge Elementary. Oakridge also has a low utilization rate (47%). However, Hogan said officials chose Eastwood for potential closure over Oakridge because Oakridge has a larger building capacity, is more centrally located and has a more efficient school pickup and drop-off system.
Why Morningside?
The decision to potentially close Morningside is largely due to its current in-house programs.
“[It’s] three unique programs are almost like three small schools within the school,” said Luke Allen, a spokesperson for Granite School District.
Those three programs are: the district’s east-side French dual language immersion program; one of the east-side area’s two gifted and talented programs, also known as “Advanced Learning Centers;” and traditional classes.
While the building has a high utilization rate (87%), the “schools within the school” aren’t serving students effectively, Allen said. For instance, he said, there are few teachers at the school, which give families limited options.
Should the board vote to close Morningside, most of its students would be reboundaried to Driggs, but a smaller portion would be rerouted to Rosecrest.
The French dual language immersion program would then take over the building, becoming its own stand-alone school.
While the adopted proposal recommends merging Morningside’s current gifted and talented program with the one at Woodstock Elementary, Allen told The Salt Lake Tribune on Friday that the district may reconsider moving it to a different east-side school after hearing feedback from parents. That is still being determined.
Other recommended boundary changes
Under the closure proposal, students living in two areas currently under boundary for Driggs elementary would be instead fall under Cottonwood elementary’s boundary.
That includes about 70 students living west of Holladay Boulevard and roughly 30 students living south of Murray-Holladay Road/Apple Blossom Lane.
Separately, Rosecrest elementary’s boundary could be expanded to not only include some Morningside students but also about 15-20 students who currently attend Woodrow Wilson elementary.
Meetings where you can share feedback
The district plans to hold at least two public meetings before the board takes their final vote on Dec. 2.
The first public meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday at Olympus High School.
The next will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday at Skyline High School.
Depending on these meetings’ attendance, the district may schedule more in October, Allen said. Details can be found on the Granite School District’s website.