One other thing that Haws and Jolley "forget" to mention is that the cost per student to operate those (mostly) shiny/new/up-to-date/fancy schools on the west side is also significantly less that the older/delapidated schools on the east. In the feasibility study this amounted to another $400 per student difference. How can they cry "woe is me" then they're coming out ahead?

One thing Mr. Jolley "forgot" to mention is that these "revenue per student" numbers are only a minor portion of all funding received per student. No mention is made of the WPU (>$7000/student) which significantly alters the perception of the gravity of the change.

Conveniently leaving out $7.5 millions (just 'cause we've never gottern if before - as if that means it's not available) just because he a) doesn't want to do the work to see if it's real or b) is intentionally skewing the numbers to feed the "poor picked on" mentality that seems so pervasive, is political machination at its worst. Same goes for "ignoring" the $12.2 million everyone else in the valley (including the new east side district) will be shelling out to those doing the whining.

Newton is the one ignoring facts he does not wish to acknowledge. Even if all the add ons take the per pupil spending on the west side up to $1,515 from the $1,101 being reported, it is still $433 less than the $1,948 east siders will get per pupil. That's hardly fair. Oh well, since when did fair have anything to do with it?

It's very simple math folks, the east side people pay the majority of the taxes so why should the money they pay go to pay for kids on the west side? The reason the split happened is because east side taxpayers were tired of their kids NOT getting the quality of education and benefits that they believed their kids should get based on the amount of money they were paying in taxes so they did something about it.
The vote is over, and yet instead of moving forward to the benefit of all, the only thing we hear about from the west side folks is how unfair things are and they present skewed, inaccurate information to bolster their whining. Next we'll see someone standing on the off-ramp on 106th with a west side district charity boot. If it's so bad on the west side, MOVE, we are not in a Socialistic society which is what it sounds like the west side district people would rather have.

Jolley is just throwing out numbers hidden behind a smoke and mirror show. the truth will come out. the west just does not want to see its kingdom come tumbing down. the split is here, it is real, just face it.

Newton is 'outraged' by the west team's data? Compare apples to apples? What about when the east team compared having Midvale Middle school, built in 1955; to Fort Herriman Middle 50 years later? How about compare Midvale Middle to West Jordan Middle, built in 1958. Each side is skewing the figures to their own benefit. Even if the legislature decided to postpone the split the east side has already divided the people.

the reason the split happened is because the 14th amendment was completely ignored. I was given no vote. I was given disparate treatment from the eastsiders, who barely passed the measure.

It's obvious that no one can agree on the numbers. Let's quit all this whining in the press and go to arbitration -- the sooner the better -- so both school districts can quit being held hostage. I really believe it will take "strangers" to settle this! How sad!

Give me a break, the 14th amendment was not ignored. You are not entitled to vote on everything that may effect you, When Cottonwood Heights incorporated, Only the residents of cottonwood Heights could vote, because only those living in a a new taxing entity can vote to create one. That same thing applies the creating a school district, Only those living in the new entitay can vote to create the new taxing entity (IE School district).

I Wrote last Comment, to WJ.

Come on Dave! The whole reason Newton & east siders wanted to split was money. Now that their buildings are all built (and everyone paid for them, including west side residents), they don't want to pay for building on the west side.
What they are complaining about, is that their plan to have their cake and eat it too is being spoiled. Grow up! The east side has all of the facilities! The schools for the handicapped, the district office etc. are all on the east side. Since we all paid for them, it's only right that we ALL pay for buildings on the west side, and equalize the per pupil expenditures.

yep, Cody, and that was the reason for the American Revolution, even though the colonists benefited from the protection from the French and Indians provided by the English military, because they were not allowed a voice in how to pay for that, they revolted. There are consequences for ignoring those who are affected. Expect us to complain about being treated unfairly.

since Cody says the 14th amendment wasn't ignored, does that mean it was knowingly violated?

You aren't 100% correct. The east side does not have all the facilities. There is a handicapped school on the west side - the South Valley School. The new Valley High School (alternative high school) is in South Jordan. You are correct about the district headquarters.

We've got this, you've got that, blah, blah, blah. All of this money could and should be used for the kids, not for all of the selfish adults.

Mr. Newton is "outraged and the West team forgot to mention something" Welcome to the club Newt. We on the West side are outraged also, when you forgot the West side in the vote! The only thing that exceeds the Easts greed is their arrogance...

To Split or quit it: Who built the East schools? It was the tax base of the East side. Now these same East side schools that were built 10-20 years ago are being neglected to build new schools on the West.

Hey, WJ: When one party wants a divorce, you don't get a vote. The West Side has been getting the lion's share of taxes too long, and that's why there was a split. It's became painfully obvious that the East side didn't count for much except to pay for the West side's state of the art schools. The East Side schools are old and constantly in need of repair. Many aren't equipped with air conditioning because the money goes to your end of the valley. I'll trade yours for ours any time, so stop belly aching. It's a done deal.

Would everybody just put your blinders back on and remember that Senator Walker told us all that this was best for all students? Have faith that, no matter how much backbiting and name calling and arguing goes on with the adults, the kids will be miles and miles ahead of where they would've been in the old district. That goes for both east and west side kids.

I hope you could pick up on the sarcasm...

Tomcat,

We don't put air conditioning into non year round schools because it isn't cost effective, nor an actual need. The East schools also have very few portables while the West has been plagued by them. Your argument is simply my wants are greater than your needs. You don't get a school because I want an air conditioner. The irony is that is how the West felt for decades as they built your side and had to bus on over for school.

It always comes down to selfishness of the pro-split crowd on the East and through equalization (first county then statewide) everyone is harmed by their greed. It is too bad we can't get Stephenson and other leeches out of the legislature to protect the rest of us because Draperites have the control.

What we need is a larger unified district by county taking in Jordan, Granite, SL and Murray and creating a super district that runs efficiently. We also need impact fees. Instead we are aiming for inefficient smaller districts and higher overhead costs. This stupidity leaves less money to trickle down to the kids.

JPjaz everyone paid for them. I was bussed to West Jordan Jr. so that Mt Jordan, Midvale, Indian Hills,etc: could be built. I was bussed to Copperton, to the real Bingahm High, so that Hillcrest, Brighton, and Alta could be built. It was the tax payers that payed for the schools in the whole Jordan district. I don't remember the west side having fits because the bonds that where passed to pay for the east side schools, because growth was out of control, well know it is the west sides turn. And just a little side note. The Jordan distict spent around 5 million more on Jordan HS than it did on Riverton HS, because Jordan was the "Crown Jewel" for the district

For the Children,

Even though you were sarcastic, I believe you are going to be right. Charter schools demand is so great in the new district that those who escape the grand experiment will be better off. It'll be interesting to see how many more pop up in Draper and Sandy to meet the demand.

My family and several others in my neighborhood have taken advantage of the one good law that Greg Curtis has passed. The Open Enrollment Option. We are all taking our children to the best schools in the real East Side District Granite. Our kids will be attending Skyline, Olympus, Churchill, and Wasatch. We are doing this to protest the undemocratic nature of the split and our taxes going through the roof. Cullimore and Dolan both stated on several occasions that our taxes would go down or stay the same. They were either both misinformed or lied. Please consider moving your students to Granite District and then vote Democratic this fall. It is my understanding that if we can arrange for enough student to move that Granite will provide busing. Vote the bums out!!!

Are east side children worth more than west side children?

All animals are equal, just that God created pigs more equal than all others.

So yes, an East side child is worth more after the split.

The current Jordan district currently receives $1,453 per student from a local tax base of $370,000 per student. This makes them the richest of the 5 large school districts in the state. Using the same tax rates, Davis and Nebo Districts each receive less than $897 per student.

After the split the West district will receive $1,101 per student from their local tax base. As a direct result of this split (and nothing else), the state will send them an additional $414 per student. These subsidies bring their total to $1,515 per student.

The West argues that this split is not fair. Every student it entitled to the same amount of money for an education regardless of where they live.

Given the same tax rates, the state average is $1,420. Are they arguing that they should send any money they receive that is over the state average back to the state to distribute to less fortunate school districts? Not hardly. They believe that they deserve a $1,382,000 annual subsidy from the Granite school district. Granite is a district with less than $1,325 per student (given the same tax rates). Jordan West demands money from a district below the state average.

Are you 'less equal' than me when you are paid more than I am? Is ts fair that the Park City school district has a local tax base of over $2.4 million per student while Tooele has a local tax base of $204 thousand (less than 10%)?

Is it fair that the West side of the district came to depend on the East side paying their bills and now will not have that benefit?

When the West side of the district has always depended on a subsidy from the East side, how can they now survive without it?

Ask the 20 school districts who will all educate students on even smaller tax bases than the Jordan West district will have AFTER the split.

Life is not fair. Either get over it, or adopt a system the equalizes wealth.

It is coming. County wide equalization was just the launch point. The goal is to move it statewide then expand it to truly equalize all the Districts.

The west side will still have more, no matter how they skew the figures to look bad, than Alpine SD currently has!

Residents on the west side are upset with the east when they really should be upset at Dale Christensen, Barry Newbold and Burke Jolley. They are the ones who have consistently missed enrollment and capital needs projections. They kept property taxes artificially low and refused to issue the 2003 bonds until the east side mayors plead with them to do it and agreed to pay a pro-rata share even though the east side would see none of the money.

Compare the 2002 pitch for the bond vs the 2006 growth summit. The blame for this mess belongs to JSD and its leadership. If they had been more forthright and honest about the situation, most of the issues that drove the east side to want their own district could probably have been resolved. Instead, JSD decided they were too big to have to worry about any individual city or area and here we are. Just ask Mayor Seghini about the dissing she got recently over Midvale schools and you will understand what has brought us here.

This is a horrible display of back room politics. We need to vote out Walker and all the other Special Interest politicians this fall. Vote Democratic!!! These Republicans are raising our taxes and we don't even know it.

The School Equalization Plan is political payback from Greg Curtis. He was stymied in his attempts to split Granite so he hit them with paying for the Jordan District split mess. Granite, Murray, and Salt Lake District are all getting the shaft because of the Jordan East sides hubris and pride. We need to get rid of every politician who supported this split and Vouchers!!!