Two residents of the Happy Days subdivision told the Weber School District Board that recent changes to busing and walking-zone boundaries could force young children to walk long stretches along roads they described as unsafe.
At the Aug. meeting, Sadie DeMille said she and neighbors were concerned about losing bus service for children who attend Silver Ridge Elementary and said some homes in the neighborhood fall just beyond the district’s 1.5-mile walking threshold. “We’re within, depending on the walking route and where in the neighborhood we are, we’re within that 1.5, sometimes a little bit above, like, 1.58, from what we’ve recorded,” DeMille said.
Why it matters: If students lose eligibility for busing because of a revised walking zone, families said children could have to walk along North Plain City Road, which they described as lacking sidewalks and adequate lighting and containing blind corners.
Another resident, Logan Taggart, reiterated those safety concerns and said his child would face roughly the same distance to school. “We don’t have sidewalks, and what I feel is sufficient infrastructure for kids safely getting to school,” Taggart said.
District staff responded that they were aware of the neighborhood’s concerns and would follow up. Board members asked an assistant director working with elementary education to meet the residents and collect contact information. Kurt Swalberg, identified at the meeting as the assistant director for elementary education, walked outside the meeting room with residents to gather details and said staff would continue to engage with the community.
No board motion or change to busing policy was made at the meeting; the comments were part of the public-comment period and were logged for follow-up. The residents noted one recent improvement: a crosswalk installed near the neighborhood at the intersection referenced as 2575, but they said the crosswalk did not resolve the principal hazards on North Plain City Road.
Ending: District staff offered continued engagement with the neighborhood; residents asked for clarity on the safety thresholds used to set walking zones and for the board or staff to explain who benefits from the change in the status quo and what measures the district uses to determine that outcome.