Staff recommend closing Morningside as a boundary school and moving Advanced Learner Center to Woodstock; board to consider in November

Steve Hogan, Granite School District director of planning and boundaries, told a packed community meeting that district staff are recommending that Morningside Elementary be closed as a boundary school and that the district’s Advanced Learner Center (ALC) program be consolidated at Woodstock.

“That’s where we’re at, is a recommendation. No decision has been made,” Hogan said. “The decision will not be made until at least November board meeting where an initial approval… and final action or final approval would be December.”

Why it matters: families said the proposal would change daily routines, add driving or bus time for many, and could place students with special education needs into classrooms and temporary facilities they said may not meet current supports. Parents repeatedly urged staff to publish more data on who currently tests into ALC, where those students live, and how many would realistically move if the program location changes.

What staff said: Hogan described the recommendation as part of a wider Area 5 boundary-and-closure study that began earlier in the year. He and other staff said the analysis considered building utilization, enrollment trends, feeder patterns and district policy guidance for ALC. Hogan said the proposal aims to preserve program integrity — as the district defines it — by concentrating ALC services in a single site rather than maintaining two separate sites with small class sizes.

Public concerns: Parents and teachers questioned whether Woodstock has capacity for additional ALC students, noted that Woodstock currently uses portable classrooms, and said moving the program would create longer commutes for families who live north and east of Morningside. Multiple parents also raised the effect on students who have IEPs or 504 plans, saying that Morningside staff and teachers have experience meeting those needs and that shifting students to a new site could cause disruption in services while staff and systems adjust.

Transportation and logistics: Staff said transportation would continue to be provided for students who qualify for district bus service, but that routes and times would be revised based on where accepted students live. At the meeting, staff acknowledged the possible short‑term “bubble” of additional students at Woodstock and forecasted that any capacity pressure would likely be temporary — staff estimated roughly two years for an enrollment bubble to settle, though parents disputed that characterization and asked for concrete route and stop information.

Process and next steps: Hogan and other staff asked for community feedback and said the recommendation is open to change. Staff said they would post additional data and do follow‑up briefings for school councils and parent groups ahead of the board’s November and December meetings.

No formal board motion or vote was taken at the meeting; staff presented the recommendation and collected public comment.

Ending: District staff reiterated that the presentation was a recommendation, not a final decision, and asked families to submit written feedback and questions as the district compiles additional data for the board.