Teachers, PTA and parents oppose Bella Vista closure proposal, cite safety and special‑education gaps
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
SANDY, UT — Dozens of community members addressed the Canyons School District board during the Nov. 11 patron comment period to urge a pause or withdrawal of the Bella Vista closure plan.
SANDY, UT — Dozens of community members addressed the Canyons School District board during the Nov. 11 patron comment period, urging the district to pause or abandon its proposal to close Bella Vista Elementary and merge students into Ridgecrest.
Amber Spizzetto, a Ridgecrest teacher, said the district’s consolidation math overlooks program structure and risks creating inequitable class sizes. “At Ridgecrest, each grade has two general‑education classrooms and two dual‑immersion classrooms. These groups cannot be combined,” Spizzetto said. She warned the way the plan is modeled could create overloaded general‑education classrooms and under‑resourced immersion classes.
Parents and PTA leaders described safety and facility concerns. Juliana Jackson, Bella Vista PTA president, read a PTA statement saying the PTA “voted unanimously on 11/04/2025 to stand against Canyon School District’s current proposal to close Bella Vista Elementary and merge with Ridgecrest Elementary for the 2026–27 school year.” Jackson cited pedestrian safety, noting the closure would require students to cross a busy state route and connecting streets near Highland Drive and Fort Union Boulevard, and raised concerns about relocating students to a building with a lower facility condition index in one area and unresolved ABS/preschool placements.
Other speakers echoed fears about property values, community identity and the district’s process for studying preschool and ABS placements. Ryan Scully, a Ridgecrest parent, said families who moved into the neighborhood chose their homes for the school and worry the changes will harm home values and community trust.
The board said it had listened closely to public hearings to date and will continue public comment during the 90‑day window; staff and board members repeatedly acknowledged that ABS and preschool placements still need concrete solutions before a final vote.
This article quotes speakers verbatim from public comments during the Nov. 11 board meeting.