Jordan School District Negotiations Hit a Wall

Apr 07, 2008 by Elizabeth Ziegler

(KCPW News) Jordan School District's transition teams could be heading to arbitration on taxpayers' dollars. The groups are charged with splitting the district in two, but negotiations have hit a brick wall.

"If we can't get closure on a fair and equitable way to divide the assets and liabilities, the law, provides for binding arbitration," says Ralph Haws, chairman of the remaining school district's transition team. "That's not the preferred way, but the law provides for it."

Haws says the groups are still hung up on two points of contention - a $196 million bond and the timeline for starting new records for each district's separate finances. He says he doesn't have much hope that the transition teams will reach an agreement on their own. The Legislature imposed an August 1 deadline to have a plan in place. But if the teams reach an impasse, they could move to arbitration earlier. This, he says, could cost the district thousands of dollars.

"All paid for by the taxpayer," Haws says, "such a waste of money."

Haws says the two transition teams will continue to meet regularly to try to work out their differences. A link with more information about the Jordan School District split is available here.

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