- Weber School District officials will study the possibility of closing Lomond View Elementary School.
- They'll also look at changing the boundaries of Orchard Springs and North Ogden schools to accommodate Lomond View students if it closes.
- Lomond View, built in 1959, needs some $3 million in upgrades, figuring in the debate.
WASHINGTON TERRACE, Weber County — With Weber School District enrollment edging down and shifting population centers among the school-aged population, school leaders are considering closing one of the older elementary schools in the system.
School officials last week authorized a closure study of Lomond View Elementary in Pleasant View. At the same time, they authorized a boundary study of nearby Orchard Springs and North Ogden elementary schools, which would take Lomond View students if Lomond View is shuttered.
Orchard Springs, built in 2019 and also in Pleasant View, "is operating at just 53% of capacity, leaving significant room to accommodate additional students. In contrast, Lomond View Elementary, one of the district's older schools, faces pressing capital improvement and safety needs that must be considered as part of long-term planning," Heather Neilson, elementary education director for the district, said in a report on the issue. Lomond View was completed in 1959.
The Weber Board of Education last Wednesday authorized the studies, but Lane Findlay, the district spokesman, said immediate action isn't looming. The public will have a chance to sound off as the process proceeds.
"I want to emphasize that a closure study has been initiated, but no decision has been made to close Lomond View. That will be the decision of our board of education after the study is completed," he said.
"Being fiscally responsible" figures in the issue, Findlay said, noting the $3 million estimated cost of completing a slate of needed upgrades to Lomond View, including safety improvements outlined in 2024 state legislation, HB84. Closing it would reduce district costs by around $1.3 million a year.
Moreover, while the district has been growing in developing areas of western Weber County, the elementary-aged population in older, "established" zones has been flat, or has even declined in some areas. Overall enrollment in Weber School District, which covers all of the county except Ogden, has fallen from 32,731 in the 2021-2022 school year to 31,747 at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year, according to Utah Board of Education figures.
Orchard Springs, meantime, can accommodate more students, and "it's a brand-new school with modern technology and air conditioning and some of the things that are lacking at Lomond View with it being an older building," Findlay said.
Following the action last Wednesday, the district will send formal notices to parents of impacted students and take initial public comment on the proposal to close Lomond View on Oct. 1. A public hearing will be held in November with a possible vote on the whether to close Lomond View tentatively set for Dec. 3.
A vote on changing the boundaries of Orchard Springs and North Ogden schools, presuming officials OK plans to close Lomond View, could come next January.
Lomond View would close after the 2025-2026 school year if the plans proceed.
Findlay said school officials will be assessing growth patterns and enrollment across the district in coming years, "to make sure that we're using our buildings efficiently and doing what's best for kids." Making sure the district is properly managing its finances — focus of sharp public debate last August when school leaders approved a property tax hike — also figures in the plans.
