This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
I recently had the opportunity to tour the new Corner Canyon High School in Draper. This $65 million state-of-the-art facility contains: a gymnasium that seats 3,343 and a 1,200-seat auditorium, a large football stadium, eight tennis courts, weight rooms, and even a dedicated room for the baseball team to practice pitching.
The district even included a few more parking spaces (1,232) when they thought they were needed. One might imagine my surprise when I asked where the bike racks were located so that my son could ride his bike to school and was told that there are none. In this $65 million school there is nary a rack to be found. I was told that riding a bike and then locking it at school causes too many "legal" issues for them, and there isn't a high school in the district that has a bike rack.
Most students live within just a few miles of the school. Instead of encouraging them to move, be active and ride a bike or walk to school, in its own way Corner Canyon High School will be contributing to the obesity epidemic that, according to one study, America spent $190 billion fighting last year.
We should be helping instruct today's youth on healthy living habits, instead of encouraging them to hop in their mom's SUV for the short ride to school. Apparently $65 million for a school buys additional parking spaces, but not a bike rack or two.
Laura Murdoch
Draper