Utah districts hoping for new schools to deal with rising capacity concerns


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SARATOGA SPRINGS — Incoming sophomore Braxton Barton has one goal for his first year at Westlake High School: make the basketball team.

"That's all I really care about," he said. "That's pretty much my life is basketball."

At most high schools, he'd probably make the team. But at Westlake, as many as 300 students will try out for a team of 15 players.

"So not making the team is one of my concerns," he added.

Competition to take part is one of the clearest ways giant high schools are impacting the student experience.

"What worries me the most is my kids having the same opportunities as they would attending a school with fewer students," said Braxton's mom, Audrey Barton.

Westlake High, in the Alpine District, was built for 2,200 students. This year, enrollment will top 3,000. They have almost as many portable classrooms outside as classes inside the building.

Principal Gary Twitchell and his dedicated staff use creative approaches to make sure students' needs are met. But, he says, they're way past the tipping point.

"If I said there was no impact, I'd be lying," said Twitchell.

Westlake principal Gary Twitchell points to one of the portable classrooms outside of the high school (Photo: KSL-TV)
Westlake principal Gary Twitchell points to one of the portable classrooms outside of the high school (Photo: KSL-TV)

Things are even crazier at Herriman High School in the Jordan District.

Here, too, enrollment will top 3,000. And taxpayers already rejected a bond to pay for new schools. The trouble is, there are around 600 new developments slated for this area of the southwest valley.

Within five years, Herriman High's enrollment will exceed 4,700 students — the size of BYU-Hawaii.

Or put another way, Herriman High will have 85 portables. Stacked together, that would be taller than the Empire State Building.

"That's a lot of portables to put in the backyard and cover up the fields," said Susan Pulsipher, Jordan board president.

Students, too, have horror stories.

Westlake Student Body Officer Brianna Bastian told of times where to get help from a teacher after school meant staying until 7 p.m.

Classmate Lyndsie Albrecht has had to sit on tables or shelves when all the desks in class are taken.

"Otherwise, we'd have to sit on the floor," she said.

Herriman senior Ale Caceres worries for her younger siblings.

"I have a younger sister in middle school and I think about how things will be when she gets to high school," she said.

Districts like Alpine and Jordan will try to convince taxpayers to pay slightly higher property taxes to build new schools.

The earlier failures in the Jordan District have taught both districts to bond conservatively and only for immediate schools they need, not long-term projections.

Pulsipher said the message was loud and clear.

"We have to find ways to cut costs and make schools more effective," she said.

But Alpine parents, like Charlotte Ducos, are still nervous.

Her family has gone to eight new schools and they've never moved. That's how many times the boundaries have changed. She can't imagine a "Plan B."

"What do we do if that bond doesn't pass? It has to pass," she said.

Deanie Wimmer anchors the KSL News and helps lead the Read Today program. contact her at deanie.wimmer@ksl.com

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