Arguments over the controversial closure of two Salt Lake City elementary schools were heard this week before the Utah Supreme Court.
A group of parents who call themselves Save Our Schools says the Salt Lake City Board of Education violated its policy on school closures when it chose Lowell and Rosslyn Heights schools to be axed.
"We're not arguing with their decision to close some schools," attorney Mark Morris told justices. Morris said parents felt that the school district staff arbitrarily chose their schools for closure while some school board members were ignorant of a 30-year-old district closure policy.
In 1973, the board adopted a policy called FLA, which set up criteria for the board to follow when closures are warranted. The policy required the district to consider keeping children near their schools, minimizing distance and transportation, placing students in functional buildings and closing older schools rather than newer ones.
Morris said both Lowell and Rosslyn Heights were two of the more "high-caliber" schools in the district when they were slated for closure.
However, a district judge ruled in 2003 that the school board did not violate the district's FLA policy in its decision.
Attorney John Robson argued that the board made its decision in 2001 after spending four years of studying enrollment, school boundaries and school facilities.
Morris countered that while Lowell was recommended as one of the schools to close by a special citizen study committee, Rosslyn Heights seemed "to come out of nowhere" after years of study.
The court accepted the arguments and is expected to issue a ruling in writing in the coming weeks.
The schools are now used as interim facilities as Salt Lake School District rebuilds and retrofits their operating schools. Bonneville Elementary students are in Lowell this year and Washington Elementary students will be attending next year.
The Rosslyn Heights facility now has Indian Hills Elementary students and will house kids from Highland Park next year.
District spokesman Jason Olsen said there have been no talks on what is to be done with the buildings after next school year, but the district has a history of keeping buildings to rent or lease out for community purposes like recreation centers.
E-mail: gfattah@desnews.com