Ex-schools chief mulls Davis District boundaries

By Tiffany Erickson
Deseret Morning News
Published: Monday, Nov. 27, 2006 10:29 p.m. MST
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Davis School District officials confirmed Monday that the district's high school boundary proposal now sits in the hands of former superintendent Darrell White.

"I am thrilled to death, I can't think of a better person to be our consultant — I trust him completely," said Marian Storey, Davis School Board president.

"He knows the district, knows the problems, knows the socioeconomics, knows the strengths of the schools and knows the weaknesses and strengths of communities," she said.

White was offered the job of boundary consultant last week in what has been a controversial boundary realignment project to redraw the lines of Davis' seven high schools.

Leaders want to not only balance enrollment but make room for a new high school in Syracuse opening next fall.

District spokesman Chris Williams said White is coming from 43 years of experience in the education arena and was a superintendent in four Utah school districts, including Davis.

He has also served as the governor's education deputy and took the lead in drawing Northridge High School boundaries in Davis 14 years ago.

White's offer comes after the Davis Board of Education voted last to start from scratch after a court order halted discussions earlier this month

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A 2nd District Court judge in Farmington, responding to claims that the Boundary Advisory Committee formed to recommend new boundaries violated the state's open meetings law, issued a restraining order preventing the district from using any of the information gathered by the committee to make boundary decisions.

Due to time constraints the district opted to start over and hire a consultant rather than await further action by the court.

The boundary committee was dissolved last week, and until the restraining order is lifted the district is prohibited from using any research or materials created by the group.

Some Davis residents applauded the decision while others say it is effectively nixing public input in the process, leaving creation of the boundary proposal up to one person as opposed to the 39-member committee.

Davis superintendent Bryan Bowles said the public is invited to post concerns and opinions on the Web site through a link that will be available later this week at www.davis.k12.ut.us.

Storey said leaders hope to have the proposal established and voted on before the end of the year. She said the board may even hold an emergency meeting in December once White's proposal is ready.

E-mail: terickson@desnews.com

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