Nov. 27, 2001--
Going to school will mean something different for thousands of Granite District students next year.
Tuesday night the school board approved a plan that calls for massive changes to the boundaries in the district.
Education Specialist Nadine Wimmer reports.
Ms. Provost has just 19 students in her homeroom.
It sounds ideal.
But it's part of the reason Holladay Elementary will close after its 75th year.
PAT PROVOST/TEACHER: "IT WAS REALLY UPSETTING AT FIRST, I KNEW IT WAS COMING DOWN THE ROAD, BECAUSE OF THE SCHOOL BEING OLDER."
Enrollment has dropped to near 300 students-- not enough to justify the costs of keeping it open when there're so many overcrowded schools in other parts of Granite District.
NADINE WIMMER, EYEWITNESS NEWS: "IT'S NOT JUST THE HOLLADAY HORNETS. MORE THAN 40 GRANITE DISTRICT SCHOOLS WILL SEE SOME KIND OF BOUNDARY SHIFT. THAT MEANS THOUSANDS OF KIDS ACROSS THE VALLEY WILL SEE CHANGES IN THEIR SCHOOLS NEXT YEAR."
MICHELLE ERICKSON/STUDENT: "FOR MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO A NEW SCHOOL AND MAKE NEW FRIENDS."
TYSON MANN/STUDENT: "IT'S HARD TO MAKE FRIENDS IN OTHER SCHOOLS."
Saying goodbye is always hard, even if you're not a kindergartner.
No one wants to see boundaries change, schools close or traditions end.
Karen Mann/Community Council: "YOU HATE TO SEE IT GO. I'VE GONE HERE, MY KIDS HAVE GONE HERE, THEIR GRANDPARENTS HAVE BEEN, THROUGH HOLLADAY IT'S KIND OF A TRADITION."
Cassy Root/Student: "LOTS OF THE GROWNUPS WHO'VE GONE HERE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COME BACK AND SHOW THEIR KIDS AND US KIDS AREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT."
But most parents and even students seem to realize with the change comes a better learning experience.
Now administrators can build new schools where they're needed and make room in others.
Holladay and Libbey Edwards are the elementaries slated to close.
To see if your school is affected by the boundary changes, click here.
