Box Elder School District watching possible ATK layoffs closely

BOX ELDER COUNTY -- A community already hit hard by job losses is facing the possibility of 2,000 jobs being cut at ATK.

That has many in Box Elder County concerned about how it will impact their daily lives, along with their children's education.

School district officials say the worst-case scenario would likely mean teachers being laid off. They say all they can do is just plan and hope for the best.

It's important to note no more layoffs have officially been announced at ATK. That 2,000 number comes from a NASA letter to ATK citing worst-case scenario.

But already it has a lot of people in town talking and worrying.

For years, Mickey Nelson has been getting her hair done at Hair Repair on Main Street in Brigham City.

What's different this time, though, is the conversation isn't just about gossip and gardening.

"The ramification is really, it's a tough one," she says.

Nelson is talking about the 2,000 jobs that could be lost at ATK. Everyone is talking about it because it seems everyone in the county knows someone who works there.

"It's totally unfortunate because it hits so many people," Nelson says. "I mean, it's just not ATK, per se. It is all the people involved with families and so forth."

ATK has already been through a few rounds of layoffs, but so far the Box Elder School District hasn't felt the impact.

But officials say there would be no escaping the consequences of 2,000 more layoffs.

"That would be devastating," says Terry Jackson, the district's assistant superintendent.

This past March, Jackson looked at total student enrollment for the district and then made projections for the 2010-2011 school year.

"We have to plan for staffing," he says.

Total enrollment at Box Elder High School and Bear River High School is projected to go up 45 students.

For Box Elder Middle School and Bear River Middle School, the enrollment is projected to increase by 36 students.

Harris Intermediate School and Young Intermediate School are looking at a projected increase of 99 students.

The 12 elementary schools in the district are looking at a 34-student increase.

"We're looking at a total of about 200 students more for the next school year than what we had during this past school year," says Jackson. "The fear, though, is that a lot of families are going to move if those ATK layoffs happen."

Jackson hopes cutting teacher jobs is something the administration and school board will never have to face.

"We're just keeping our fingers crossed and hope it never happens," says Jackson. "Politically, you never know exactly what's going to happen at ATK, but we hope they are around for a long time."

It's something residents worry about, too.

"We went through something like this in the 60s," says Nelson. "It was very, very sad. I would have never dreamed I would, in my years, that I would see it a second time."

Nelson says she's worried about potential teacher layoffs if families who worked at ATK have to move away.

With the future uncertain, all the community can do is hope for the best.

"I wish somebody had the answers," says Nelson. "It is truly unfortunate because our young people are having a struggle enough with things."

The number of layoffs at ATK could, in reality, be a lot less. Many are hoping there will be none at all.

It all depends on the Constellation and Ares rocket program and whether the U.S. government decides to continue or scrap it.

E-mail: acabrero@ksl.com

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