Ogden school board declares former Taylor Canyon Elementary surplus, authorizes sale

The Ogden City School District Board of Education on Tuesday declared the former Taylor Canyon Elementary site surplus and authorized staff to begin the statutory process to dispose of the property, district officials said.

The declaration — approved by majority vote at the board's August meeting — starts a process under state law that requires the district to notify eligible public entities (Ogden City and Weber County) and give them first right of refusal. The board and staff said the approximately 5-acre site was demolished several years ago, is zoned R-16 by Ogden City, and that a successful rezoning to R-15 could allow about six additional single-family lots. District staff estimated an appraised sale value “around $4,000,000,” and said proceeds must be used for capital projects or debt reduction.

Why it matters: The site sits in a residential neighborhood where residents use the former school grounds as open space and a sledding hill. Neighbors urged the board to preserve the land as a park; the board majority said the district has no foreseeable educational need for the property, pointed to enrollment declines, liability risks from continued public use, and the district’s fiduciary duty to taxpayers.

Board and staff presentation The board’s business administrator explained the surplus process required by state law: after a board declares property surplus, the district must give 90 days’ notice to eligible public entities; those entities have 90 days to make an offer or formally pass. If no eligible entity buys the property, the district may market it to private buyers. The…