School board unanimously votes to close Cedar Valley Elementary School

SALT LAKE CITY — The Alpine School District Board of Education unanimously voted to close Cedar Valley Elementary School in a board meeting Tuesday night. In a press release, the district did not state a closure date, but noted that the elementary school, located in Cedar Fort, will remain open for the remainder of the school year. According to the release, the Board of Education of the West District, also known as the Lake Mountain School District, voted to close Cedar Valley Elementary School last week. State law mandates that both school districts had to approve the closure. “This was a very difficult decision made by weighing several important, and sometimes competing, priorities,” Julie King, president of both school districts, said in the press release. “We spent a significant amount of time looking at every option to keep the school open. Unfortunately, none of these options were viable long-term.” The district cited three main factors that contributed to the decision to close the Cedar Valley Elementary School. These included:

• "Rapid growth and limited site capacity:" The school could not adequately support growth within Cedar Valley.
• "Stronger educational opportunities:" Cedar Valley Elementary School only had one class per grade, making it impossible for teachers and students to collaborate with other classes of the same grade.
• "Fiscal responsibility and efficient use of facilities:" the cost per student is "substantially higher" than the district average, thanks to the school's low number of students and its staffing structure. The Alpine School District noted that Cedar Valley Elementary School has 130 students and is one of the oldest schools in the district.

The school district stated it recognizes the school's "special role in the community" and that it is committed to keeping student and teacher groups who want to stay together at the same school.

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