In a unanimous decision, Canyons Board of Education approved closing Bella Vista Elementary after this school year to consolidate its students into nearby Ridgecrest Elementary for the 2026-27 school year.

The board said the move will raise Ridgecrest’s enrollment to about 600 students, helping preserve the Butler Middle and Brighton High feeder system; support grade-level staffing and teaming; and strengthen academic programs. Although the schools are only about a mile apart, Bella Vista students will be bused to Ridgecrest.

As part of the plan, current Ridgecrest students living west of 1300 East will be bused to East Midvale Elementary starting fall 2026 and will eventually attend Midvale Middle and Hillcrest High. East Midvale’s enrollment will rise to about 540 students.

Canyons Business Administrator and Chief Financial Officer Leon Wilcox said there could be “shovels in the ground” in four to five years for a combined Bella Vista-Ridgecrest school rebuild. A drawing has been created for Ridgecrest, but no site has been selected, he said. 

Community input on a new school name and colors will come later, though the mascot will remain the Tigers since both schools share it, Wilcox said. The District also plans to honor both schools’ legacies.

Bella Vista, a 2024 national Blue Ribbon School, currently has the lowest enrollment of any Canyons School District school, with 212 students.

Wilcox said the District chose the Ridgecrest’s building over Bella Vista — which was remodeled in 2008 — because of its size. Ridgecrest has five additional classrooms and can absorb Bella Vista students without portables. He said the school would have four to five classes per grade level, averaging 24 students each. Ridgecrest also hosts the Chinese dual language immersion program.

About a dozen Bella Vista preschoolers will not move to Ridgecrest; they will instead join classrooms across the District, located at Oakdale, Quail Hollow, Willow Canyon and East Midvale elementaries. New preschool classrooms also are planned for Oak Hollow Elementary.

Bella Vista’s academic behavior support (special education) students will move to Brookwood Elementary, along with ABS staff. These students come from across the District. 

Earlier in the process, the District had yet to name a location to relocate the ABS students, when Ellie Nielson, a paraprofessional who works with these students, urged the board to keep the Bella Vista population together.

“While the general education students are being moved to Ridgecrest, these 17 children are being left behind, squeezed into wherever there’s space, away from their peers and support systems,” she told the board. “We’re told it’s due to lack of room… . This isn’t just about space. It’s about priorities. It’s about equity. It’s about 17 kids who deserve to be treated with the same respect, dignity and care as everyone else.”

Canyons District Special Education Director Terri Mitchell said when examining a new location, Brookwood emerged with an appropriate space and supportive peers. 

“I think it will be a good move for them,” she told the board, adding she is meeting with Brookwood faculty and staff about the ABS transition.

All contracted licensed staff and contracted education support professionals will retain jobs, Wilcox said. Hourly ESP workers will receive hiring priority. A new administration for the Ridgecrest building will be named in 2026.

Wilcox added the District does not intend to sell the Bella Vista property, but it may explore shared use with Cottonwood Heights City. Transition teams for employees and communities will communicate timelines and updates, work to prevent disruptions to learning and provide support a welcoming environment.

Board vice president Amanda Oaks said her vote was grounded in student needs. 

“When I look at the data associated with this decision, especially with the supports, the staffing and all of those are the things that go into creating a positive learning environment, for me, it becomes very clear that this is the best thing for these kids, long term,” she said. “So, I apologize for the relatively short term, growing pains that this will entail, but I know in the long run that this community is going to be better for it in the big picture.”

Board member Holly Neibaur agreed: “It’s a very sad day whenever we have to close a school. I don’t think it’s what any of us want, but we do want what is best for students.”

The board also approved boundary changes for 2026-27. All Brookwood students will attend Albion Middle and Oakdale students living east of Highland Drive also will attend Albion. Glacier Hills students in the Quarry Bend area, north of 9000 South, will attend East Sandy Elementary to align with Union Middle’s boundary. The board also realigned Oakdale’s secondary feeders, reducing its assignments from four middle schools to two — Albion and Union. Some students who currently attend Brighton will attend Hillcrest, and vice versa.

“We know they’re in academic programs, theater, art, sports teams, whatnot; they're welcome to finish out (at the same high schools),” Wilcox said. “That's where their friends are. That's where they've gone. Absolutely we’ll make sure that happens.”

The Dec. 2 vote was required this year for the changes to take effect the following year, per state law.

The District’s long-range planning committee continues studying possible mergers of Granite, Park Lane and Willow Canyon in Sandy. Additional public hearings are scheduled for 6 p.m., Jan. 27 at Park Lane Elementary, 9955 S. 2300 East, and 6 p.m., Jan. 28 at Granite Elementary, 9760 S. 3100 East. 

Wilcox emphasized the consolidation aims to preserve strong academic opportunities. He said the District considers 560 students ideal for an elementary school, providing about three classes per grade level.

He cited several factors behind the study: a 9.24% decline in elementary enrollment the past five years, a 49% rise in home values making it harder for families to live within District boundaries, lower birth rates, limited residential growth and more alternatives, including charter schools, homeschooling and the state voucher program.