The Senate voted 19-9 Monday to kill SB13, intended to create a mechanism to divide school districts that serve more than 50,000 students to form a district no smaller than 20,000 students.
Sen. Millie Peterson, D-West Valley City, has sponsored the same bill for three years without success. Earlier, Peterson said she sought the legislation in the aftermath of the closure of Webster Elementary School in Magna.Residents who opposed the school closure argued their views were not adequately represented because of size of the school district. Granite is the largest school district in the state.
Opponents argued that creating new school districts would require the new district to create new administration and student services, a duplication of existing costs.
Others worried, including Senate Democrats who opposed the bill, that the bill would invite divisions.