A third incarnation may be in Granite High School's future.

South Salt Lake is interested in buying the campus from Granite School District, possibly to create a civic center and maintain open space and recreational facilities, according to an Aug. 7 letter Mayor Robert Gray sent to Granite Superintendent Steve Ronnenkamp.

"We acknowledge we've received an inquiry from South Salt Lake City showing an interest in the Granite High School building," Granite District spokesman Randy Ripplinger said. "That will be discussed at our board meeting on Tuesday."

But the move surprises the City Council. Council Chairman Casey Fitts said he had no idea a letter of that type had come from city administration.

"From the council's perspective, our vision has been to have a viable high school in place. Our frustration is they (Granite District) have failed in the commitments to make it a viable high school," Fitts said. "The high school is not serving the needs of South Salt Lake because the kids in South Salt Lake are going to high school elsewhere. Ultimately, it's not serving the community."

Granite High's fate has been in the balance for a couple of years. In 2005, it was threatened with closure by the Granite Board of Education; several residents, including city officials and students, rallied to keep it open. The board obliged — sort of.

Last fall, Granite turned into an umbrella school, including Central High alternative school, the young parents program, a newcomers program for immigrants and an opt-in high school that would one day turn into academies, possibly for careers or performing arts.

But the traditional school part of the umbrella shriveled, leaving the school with largely empty classrooms and a deserted football field, as athletics were taken out the picture in the metamorphosis. Kids opted mostly to attend their new boundary school, Cottonwood High.

That's not what city officials had envisioned for their flagship high school. Some said as much at a July 25 work session with school board members, after which the City Council moved to ask voters whether to break away from Granite School District (Salt Lake County's inaction halted that effort last week).

"I don't think there's been anything, on our part, any thought, really, that somehow, miraculously, Granite (High) is going to be saved," council vice chairman John Weaver told school board members at the time.

Board member Patricia Sandstrom asked if the city would rather see the school become a satellite for the Granite Technical Institute.

Councilman Shane Siwik answered: "What we would rather do ... (is) just close it, and let the city buy the property under the right of first refusal ... because to have a high school that is not a community center isn't a high school in my mind."

Fitts, however, would much rather see the district work to improve the school. Buying Granite High would be a last resort in his mind.

"Where's the commitment they put in place in fall of 2005?" he said.

Gray says there are no "serious negotiations" with the district right now, but the city wants first dibs on purchase rights if the district were to shut down the high school.

He envisions more green space and a permanent home for city hall, currently in a "temporary" location on the north edge of city boundaries, Gray said. But South Salt Lake has been forced to keep their headquarters there for 15-20 years because of financial constraints. While the city has since outgrown its digs, it must lease the top two floors to other businesses — a mix Gray says isn't good practice.

"I've always wanted to move city hall to the center of the city so it's not in an odd location for the city."

But he says the potential selling price — he's been told around $17.5 million — is "pie in the sky" for the cash-strapped city with only $6 million in capital revenues.

"We're just looking for dollars from anywhere. Whether we can afford to jump on a big project like that, I don't know," he said, adding a lot of studies would have to be done.

Siwik adds the city could consolidate resources by putting city and police offices in the school, then selling off that property to put towards the purchase. The facility could also be a great recreation center with a pool, he added, a use residents have wanted for years.

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"The reality is a purchase of this size will have to be with the total support of the community because it will have to be a bond with the whole community," he said. "It's a huge commitment."

Selling a school to a city is nothing new for Granite District. Holladay city a few years back bought Holladay Elementary for its City Hall. But that was after the board had closed the school. Granite High is still operating.

South Salt Lake uses the historic former Columbus school as their city center, with a branch of the Salt Lake County Library System inside.


E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com; astowell@desnews.com

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