Busing decision is flawed

Deseret News Letter to the Editor
Tuesday, November 14, 2006

A Davis School District committee recently issued new proposed high school boundaries after several closed meetings, possibly in violation of the Utah Open and Public Meetings Act. The officials are good people with good intentions and have worked long and hard on the proposal, but without public accountability, even the best people make flawed decisions. Sunshine is a great disinfectant.

Because of the closed process, the involved citizen committee was reportedly asked: "Setting aside safety, can you live with this proposal?" With safety "set aside," the district is requiring north Farmington students to drive nine miles through unsafe rush hour traffic to attend Viewmont High in Bountiful. Davis High has capacity for these students, and Viewmont, Bountiful and Woods Cross do not. This was reportedly done to bolster Bountiful and Woods Cross numbers, even though no known programs will be lost from those schools other than possibly 4A athletic status.

Busing north Farmington students to Bountiful is no different than busing students from the Wasatch Front to Morgan or Tooele, which are also 3A.

Steve Young
Farmington