The Canyons Board of Education is considering the closure of two Canyons School District elementary schools for the 2026-27 school year, as part of a broader plan that could eventually affect most of the District’s 31,500 students through school boundary changes.

The District’s long-range planning committee has recommended merging Bella Vista Elementary with Ridgecrest Elementary, both located in Cottonwood Heights. In Sandy, the proposal is to combine Park Lane Elementary and Granite Elementary. The final location of the merged Sandy school has not yet been decided, allowing for community input.

In addition to school closures, the committee, which includes board members, District administration and staff, also aims to better align high school feeder systems—a change that, if not immediate, will eventually impact many students at the secondary level.

“We know since we put this out in May, there has been concerns and we acknowledge that and we know that,” said Canyons Business Administrator and Chief Financial Officer Leon Wilcox, who sits on the committee. “We spent a lot of time all summer studying these issues and what we can do. We want to provide the best education for our students.”

Community input 

At the Sept. 2 board meeting, members emphasized the proposals are not final but a starting point for community feedback. Parents at affected schools are being notified, and city officials also will be informed if closures move forward.

In accordance with Utah Code 53G-4-402(24), the District will host public hearings to gather input. Community members can provide feedback at scheduled board meetings or through the District website, where comments will be shared with both the board and the planning committee.

Three public hearings have been scheduled:

• 6 p.m., Oct. 15, board members will meet with Granite, Park Lane and Willow Canyon elementaries’ communities at Granite Elementary, 9760 S. 3100 East. 
• 6 p.m., Oct. 16, they will meet with communities from Bella Vista, East Midvale and Ridgecrest elementaries at Bella Vista Elementary, 2131 Fort Union Blvd. 
• All other proposed boundary changes will be discussed at the 7 p.m., Oct. 30 meeting at the District office’s Canyons Center, 9361 S. 300 East. 

Each of the upcoming hearings are scheduled for one hour.

Following these hearings, Canyons board member Karen Pedersen said a second, likely revised, proposal will be presented at the Nov. 11 board meeting. 

A third reading and vote are expected in December. According to state law, school closure decisions must be finalized by Dec. 31 if they are to take effect the following school year.

Committee process

The committee evaluated eight elementary schools: Bella Vista (Cottonwood Heights), Brookwood, East Sandy, Granite, Oakdale, Park Lane, Quail Hollow and Willow Canyon (all in Sandy). No middle or high schools were included.

Factors considered included enrollment trends, building age and condition, school capacity and existing specialized programs such as dual language immersion, accelerated studies and special education.

Wilcox emphasized that the primary goal is maintaining high academic standards and opportunities for students. He said the District considers 560 students to be the optimal elementary school size, with approximately three classes per grade level.

He cited several reasons behind the recommendation, including a 9.24% decline in elementary enrollment the past five years and a 49% increase in average home values in the District during the same period, making it more difficult for families to afford to live within the District’s Alta, Draper, Sandy, Midvale, Cottonwood Heights and White City boundaries.

Other contributing factors include lower birth rates, limited residential growth, and increased alternatives such as charter schools, homeschooling and the state’s school voucher program.

While the decision is difficult, several board member pointed out it's one the board must consider to act responsibly with District finances.

According to the committee's report, the average cost to operate a Canyons elementary school is $1.3 million annually.

Patron concerns

Some parents and community members raised concerns even before the proposals were publicly announced, citing strong school communities, an accelerated timeline, the request for transparency, the need to listen to parents as resources and questions about the District’s financial priorities.

Bella Vista parent Juliana Jackson pointed out discrepancies in District spending.

She said District-level expenses total $202 million, while Bella Vista, which doesn’t have an assistant principal, costs $1.2 million to operate. Jackson added that the District’s overhead accounts for 38% of its $535 million revenue, whereas Bella Vista’s operations make up 0.2%.

“District-level expenses far exceed elementary school costs and are the real burden to taxpayers,” she said at the board meeting. “This is where the cuts should happen.”

She also expressed concern Bella Vista would be the third elementary school closed in Cottonwood Heights and said closing the recently upgraded school — improved with bond funds approved by voters — “would be a waste of taxpayer dollars and betrays our votes.”

Personnel and property

Wilcox said the District’s goal is to retain all employees, with most teachers moving with students to their new schools. With ongoing retirements and resignations, he expects there will be openings for education support professionals as well.

Although no decisions have been made about how to use vacated school buildings, Pedersen said the District plans to retain the properties “so that as bond payments drop off in the next four to five years, we can begin rebuilding our old elementary schools. We would house the students in the empty buildings while new ones are built. We also don’t know if our student populations may begin to grow again and we will need those schools.”

Wilcox added this is likely just the beginning of an ongoing process, as student enrollment is projected to continue declining into the early 2030s. Future elementary school rebuilds may be needed.

Proposed boundary adjustments

Wilcox said keeping neighborhoods intact and aligning school feeder systems were key priorities in the committee’s boundary recommendations. 

Some of the proposed boundary changes include:

• A portion of Ridgecrest shifting to East Midvale
• Parts of Granite moving to Willow Canyon and Lone Peak Elementary
• The Quarry Bend area relocating from Glacier Hills Elementary to East Sandy Elementary
• All Brookwood Elementary students, and some Oakdale Elementary students east of Highland, attending Albion Middle
• All Silver Mesa students moving to Union Middle and eventually Hillcrest High
• Some students currently attending Albion Middle would shift to Eastmont Middle to align with Jordan High
• Some Eastmont students would move to Indian Hills Middle to match Alta High’s boundaries
• All Sprucewood Elementary students would attend Indian Hills Middle
• Adjustments between Brighton and Hillcrest High School boundaries

Another change affects busing. After the 2027-28 school year, the District will no longer provide west-of-interstate transportation to Indian Hills for students living in the Mount Jordan Middle boundary. Currently, about 175 students permit to Indian Hills.

Wilcox added students are allowed to apply for enrollment at any Canyons school. Those affected by boundary changes will receive preference during open enrollment, though students wanting to remain at their current school after a boundary shift will need to submit a permit application.