Wasatch board tables 2026–27 boundary decision after hours of public comment
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Summary
After two hours of public testimony focused on student safety and the effects of splitting elementary feeders, the Wasatch County School Board declined to adopt the publicly noticed boundary plan and voted to table the matter for further study.
The Wasatch County School Board on Oct. 20 opened a public hearing on proposed school boundary adjustments tied to the opening of Deer Creek High School, then voted to table any final decision after extended public comment.
Parents, students and staff urged the board to reconsider proposals that would split several elementary schools between different middle and high‑school feeders. Lindy Rio of the Daniel Canyon area told the board it would be “absolutely the wrong thing” to split Daniels Elementary, saying foster and other vulnerable children need continuity with friends. Seventh grader Tesla Caudle said the plan “is a recipe for disaster” for students who would need to cross major roads to reach a different school.
Board members acknowledged the strength of public feeling and the complexity of the tradeoffs — safety, program access such as JROTC, and maintaining balanced enrollments and demographics. A motion to adopt the scenario that had been formally noticed for hearing failed for lack of a second. Later, a board member moved to table the boundary proposal for further study; the motion was seconded and approved.
Superintendent Gary Peterson and district staff told the board the timeline is constrained by athletics classification and state hearing requirements. Doctor Campbell and staff reminded the board that changing the noticed boundary significantly would require another 30‑day public notice and hearing under state law, which compresses the schedule for decisions the district must provide to classification bodies by December.
Board members said they will hold an expedited study session to review alternatives that respond to the concerns raised by speakers — particularly options that reduce elementary splits and address safe routes to schools — and that staff will return with scenarios and legal guidance on whether revisions trigger a new 30‑day notice.
The board’s decision to table means no boundary changes were adopted at the meeting. The district encouraged families to continue participating in the process at upcoming study sessions and hearings.