Canyons approves plan to shift middle school to Draper

Middle schoolers in the Canyons district will get new boundaries in 2013 and Crescent View Middle likely will get a new campus in the future.

With a crowded room of more than 100 residents watching, the Canyons board on Tuesday unanimously approved a middle-school map that shows boundaries for Crescent View shifting south to include all students south of 12300 South. The school would move from 11150 S. 300 East in Sandy to district property near 1300 East and 13200 South in Draper.

But it's unclear how the district would pay for a $36 million building. It has budgeted $20 million of a $250 million bond to renovate Crescent View, but the district would need to plug the $16 million gap.

Speakers at a nearly two-hour hearing were evenly divided on whether they loved or loathed the plan. Some liked the simplicity of the boundaries and the clean school feeder systems. Others decried spending Crescent View's bond money other than how it was touted during the 2010 bond election — for enclosing classrooms and installing air conditioning.

"If the intent of the bond is not honored, the honor of this board will be called into question," said Draper resident Chad Iverson. He presented a petition that he said had 800 signatures, calling on the board to do a cost-benefit analysis of moving every middle school in the district if it was going to consider moving Crescent View.

Charles Hardy of Sandy encouraged the board to vote for the plan — so it would "light a big enough fire under the voters so we can replace all of you."

Board President Tracy Cowdell encouraged Hardy to challenge him for his seat on the board. Hardy said after the meeting that he is willing to run against Cowdell.

Draper Mayor Darrell Smith spoke in favor of the proposal, noting the city's explosive growth over the past two decades. "I don't think there's anybody in here that doesn't agree the community needs a middle school out there," he said.

Jim Jensen, a parent who served on the boundary committee that spent last school year drawing proposals for elementary, middle and high school maps, also endorsed the new map. The committee frequently talked about wanting to be able to move a middle school, but was tasked with drawing boundaries with schools as they are.

"We've got enough schools ... The schools are just not in the right places," he said. "The [new middle school] boundaries are clear and concise. It makes a lot of sense."

Canyons board member Kevin Cromar announced Tuesday that he will not seek re-election. He praised the new middle school map saying it "benefits the most children" and "has the least [negative] impact."

rwinters@sltrib.com —

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O To see the new middle school boundaries map, go to http://bit.ly/zUFB3I.