The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-02-03
LARGER MERGER
CONTEMPLATED
Plan TO Consolidate County
School Districts Into Two.
COMMISSIONERS FAVORABLE
LEGISLATIVE ACTION ON A FEW
MINOR DETAILS.

There is a possibility that the thirty
three school districts Of the county may
De merged into two. instead of eight.
as now contemplated By the scheme
laid before the board Of county commits
sioners by b. w. Ashton. the county
superintendent of schools That new
phase Of the merger question which
has confronted the commissioners and
The district trustees tpr some weeks,
was advanced at meeting held yester-
day in the city and county building
by the trustees from the six districts
row proposed TO be merged into No. S
under the Ashton plan Those sub
divisions arc East and West Jordan,
SANDY. Union, Butlerviile aud Granite.
Even though that contemplated fur
Their merger may never matcrsaliza.
there are good prospects of The three
proposed districts being consolidated
into one. In that event there win be
Tut five districts instead Of eight all
Tire present districts in the Jordan
stake being one school district after the
proposed consolidation is approved by
the board of county commissioners.
Opposition Was Soon Outlined.
When the meeting of the school trus-
tees Of the six districts mentioned
above met with the county commits
Eioners and Mr. Ashton. only those from
Sandy and West Jordan were favorable
10 any kind OF a merger The ones. op-
posed we're lab0ring under the impress
sion that merger meant reduction
or the number of smaller schools, and
ne forcing OF children TO travel miles
10 the larger ones.
The real intent and purpose of the
1nergeT was explained by ATr Ashton.
" nose statements and arguments were
further augmented by q few remarks
ny each of the county commissioners
After the doubts and fears Of the trus-
tees VINO first opposed the scheme had
been bru-hed aside, the suggestion
WAS made that perhaps 80 might be a
good idea TO merge the proposed new
distrc S-NOS. o, and S-into one
large district, embracing all the pres
ent districts in tire Jordan stake into
one jurisdiction. The idea was well re-
ceiFed by the remainder of the trus-
tees present and the following commit
tees was named to prepare meetings
throughout the stake, when the matter
can be thoroughly discussed by tax
payers and trustees alike: D. o. Ride
QUE trustee from Draper district: Hen
~ Q. Monteer, Union. and Z. H Rich
ards, West Jordan.
Two Districts Are Proposed.
it was then that the suggestion was
made thai perhaps il would be advis-
- bic 10 merge into one large district all
the other smaller districts in the cen-
tral and northern section Of the couu-
ty. That would give the county two
school districts, with a board OF trus-
tees similar 10 the board OF education
in city OF the second class like Og-
HfsaHa ~. =
county, and place the management of
u in the hands of q board larger than
three members, would require a special
act of the legislature.
While q was argued that q beard of
three members CGtIld control the dis
trict, il would give more satisfaction
10 have larger number, five nine or
eleven. To increase the number above
three VIII involve the consent of the
legislature. Until that is secured, it. is
said the consolidation can be made
along the lines Of two larger districts
with boards Of three members. and
i~ien increase the personnel after the
legislature grants the districts that
power
Those arguments were made upon the
superstition that the present school sub
divisions which will be consolidated
into districts Nos. I, ,. 3, 4 and 8. under
The Ashton scheme. are willing 10 give
up their identity and become one juTis-
diction. II they refuse, there is nothing
20 prevent the Jordan stake districts
from merging into one, and asking the
legislature for q larger board Of trus-
tees than the law now permits.
The county commissioners are favor
able to the two-district scheme. and
yesterday expressed themselves as be
ing willing to do everything in their
power 10 help it along TO q realization.