The Granite (Utah) School Board has voted to close two of its elementary campuses at the end of the academic year.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports that closing Westbrook Elementary School in Taylorsville and Carl Sandburg Elementary School in West Valley City will displace more than 700 students who attend the two schools as the district tries to address declining student enrollment.
Board members said there was no viable alternative.
“Closing schools is one of the hardest things that school boards have to vote on and consider,” says Karyn Winder, board president. “Demographics are changing and populations are declining in some of our areas. A hard vote is the right vote sometimes.”
The Granite district has 65,000 students. Nearly a decade ago, it had 70,000. That decline is at least partially because of an aging population with fewer school-age children. In addition, many students have transferred to charter schools.
Many families from Westbrook and Carl Sandburg came to the school board meeting Tuesday night with the hope of persuading members to delay their decision. Several parents pleaded along with him as their children napped in chairs during the tense and bitter two-hour discussion.
In the end, the board voted unanimously to close both schools.
