Jordan Transition Teams Resume Negotiations

Apr 24, 2008 by Elizabeth Ziegler

(KCPW News) The two teams negotiating how to divide Jordan School District's assets are considering a new proposal for the split. The remaining west side school district team rejected an earlier draft, which nearly sent the teams into arbitration. Team leader Ralph Haws says this new proposal is a step in the right direction.

"I think it's a positive sign that we anticipate being able to get agreement on several issues," Haws says. "There were 13 in that original proposal. We think of that 13, we will be able to sign off on as many as nine or 10. And that's got to be positive."

Haws says while the two groups are closer to a settlement, several of the old issues remain problematic. Specifically, how to divide $196 million in bond proceeds and the timeline for dividing Jordan's assets. Additionally, Haws is concerned with the best way to divide the school facilities themselves. The west side has roughly two-thirds of the district's property value and will need to pay the new east side district to make up the difference. Haws says this could be one of the most expensive costs the west side incurs during the split.

"There's a lot of ways to value to evaluate the worth of the property," Haws says. "For example, if you have a building on the east side that's got to be closed, the property itself may be worth two to three times what the school building itself will be. So the value of all those buildings are assessed will become another issue that will have to be resolved."

Jordan is the largest of Utah's 40 school districts with more than 80,000 students enrolled in its 60 elementary schools, 17 middle schools and 10 high schools. It has an operating budget of nearly $370 million. The two teams are reviewing the new proposal and will meet again next week.

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