District study finds no immediate path to build a comprehensive West Side high school
May 22, 2024 | Salt Lake County School Board, Salt Lake School District , School Boards, Utah
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The Salt Lake City School District presented a two-part feasibility review on May 21 that combined demographic projections from Applied Economics with a district real‑estate survey. The goal was to test whether an additional comprehensive high school on the city’s West Side is currently viable.
Rick Brammer of Applied Economics told the board that steadily falling birth rates, compounded by recent gentrification, have reduced K–8 cohorts and will drive down high‑schoolage enrollment in the near term. Brammer said the district has seen a net loss of roughly 652 students over recent five‑year comparisons and forecast continued declines for some attendance areas over the next four to five years.
Isaac Astell, the district’s Executive Director of Auxiliary Services, summarized an exhaustive property search on the West Side and explained the district’s working site standard. He cited the American Planning Association‑derived rule of thumb — a 10‑acre minimum for a secondary site plus extra acreage per 100 students — and said staff used a 30‑acre baseline for a comprehensive campus. After contacting city, county and state property managers and reviewing multiple private parcels, Astell said there is not a clear 30‑acre parcel available that meets the district’s criteria without displacing other uses or negotiating complex purchases.
Superintendent Grant framed the findings in blunt terms: "We don't see a way forward right now at this time," she said, urging continued community partnership and discussion of interim options to better serve West Side students. Board members and administrators discussed alternatives — such as shared facilities, enhanced activities in neighborhood schools, and reframing community requests to prioritize access to programs and athletics — while acknowledging that any long‑term solution would require city, county or state cooperation and substantial land acquisition or repurposing.
What’s next: Staff will post the full Applied Economics report and supporting materials to the board agenda web links and continue conversations with community advocates about alternative approaches to expand program access on the West Side.
Rick Brammer of Applied Economics told the board that steadily falling birth rates, compounded by recent gentrification, have reduced K–8 cohorts and will drive down high‑schoolage enrollment in the near term. Brammer said the district has seen a net loss of roughly 652 students over recent five‑year comparisons and forecast continued declines for some attendance areas over the next four to five years.
Isaac Astell, the district’s Executive Director of Auxiliary Services, summarized an exhaustive property search on the West Side and explained the district’s working site standard. He cited the American Planning Association‑derived rule of thumb — a 10‑acre minimum for a secondary site plus extra acreage per 100 students — and said staff used a 30‑acre baseline for a comprehensive campus. After contacting city, county and state property managers and reviewing multiple private parcels, Astell said there is not a clear 30‑acre parcel available that meets the district’s criteria without displacing other uses or negotiating complex purchases.
Superintendent Grant framed the findings in blunt terms: "We don't see a way forward right now at this time," she said, urging continued community partnership and discussion of interim options to better serve West Side students. Board members and administrators discussed alternatives — such as shared facilities, enhanced activities in neighborhood schools, and reframing community requests to prioritize access to programs and athletics — while acknowledging that any long‑term solution would require city, county or state cooperation and substantial land acquisition or repurposing.
What’s next: Staff will post the full Applied Economics report and supporting materials to the board agenda web links and continue conversations with community advocates about alternative approaches to expand program access on the West Side.
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