By Shauna Lund, Iron County School District
Small tweaks have been made to the proposed boundary changes, the Board of Education of Iron County School District learned Tuesday.
Business Administrator Todd Hess said the changes came following discussions with the Principal at East Elementary who worried about opening the new building nearly at capacity. East Elementary is a Spanish dual immersion school and receives a large number of students from outside its boundaries.
Hess said the new proposal will impact the proposed boundaries at East, South, North, Iron Springs and Three Peaks.The district has updated the interactive map on the website so parents can see how the proposal impacts their students. Hess also said the district will propose that any boundary change adopted by the Board for the middle schools and high schools not take place until the 2027-28 school year. The expansion at Canyon View High School will not be complete in time to start the 2026-27 school year with the added capacity. Board member Tyrel Eddy said it’s important that the proposed boundaries leave open space at each school so they are open to enrollment of students outside the school boundaries. “A lot of the states, you go to the school (which boundaries) you live in,” Tyrell said, adding that is not true in Utah. However, he emphasized parents who request a variance must provide their own transportation for their student to attend that other school.
The next steps in the boundary process will include continued discussions with each principal to ensure that class sizes are not adversely affected by a boundary change. On Jan. 12, beginning at 6 p.m., the public will have an opportunity to give input and ask questions at open houses at Cedar Middle and Canyon View Middle School. A public hearing will be held at 6 p.m. on Feb. 17 in the district office boardroom. Finally, in February, the Board will give the proposal a final review on Feb. 24 and the public will have one more opportunity to comment during the regular board meeting.
In other business, Superintendent Dr. Lance Hatch presented the results of the second survey on the four-day school week. The staff survey was divided into certified and classified with 72% of certified staff and 61% of non-licensed staff indicating they were in favor of moving to a four-day week.
Many parents — about 61% — were also in favor of the four-day proposal. A majority of high school students who completed the survey were also in favor, with about 64% approving the proposal.
Hatch said only about 44% of families indicated they would use academic programs on Fridays if they were available. He also explained to the board that the dissenting comments were similar to those heard at the town halls, including:
- Lack of affordable daycare options for elementary students
- Food insecurity for students in need
- Minimal cost savings at the expense of families and staff
- Possible loss of learning
Other comments included the benefits parents thought might come from a four-day week including:
- Increased family time
- Less conflict with athletics
- Less busywork on Fridays
Members of the Board agreed that the decision cannot be made easily as it impacts families in different ways. A few said they felt it might be too rushed to make a decision for the 2026-27 school year. Hatch encouraged the board to make a decision in January that would at least give administration a sense of direction to move forward. He said if the district worked to establish Friday programs and applied for grants to help with some of the other issues, it would need to know that the board was for the four-day week. The board would also need to establish whether it would be implemented for the 2026-27 school year or pushed to 2027-28. The Board is set to vote on the matter during its January business meeting.