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Show Prpnnlo flsli FOP SGllOOl By ROSELYN KIRK FARM1NGTON - A delegation of Far-mington Far-mington residents were assured by the Davis County School Board that steps were being taken to purchase property for the construction of a school in the Far-mington Far-mington area. But the board did not commit com-mit itself as to where students would be attending school until a building is available. A PTA task force presented the results of a community-wide survey which showed that, of the 823 people surveyed, 92 percent felt that overcrowding problems at the Farmington Elementary School could be solved by portable units or additional space in the community. Less than five percent said that busing children, which is the way the problem is presently being handled, was preferred. SIXTH grade students at Farmington Elementary School are now bused to Kaysville Junior High, along with other junior high students. Secondary students are bused to Davis High School. Farmington Mayor Gordon Van Fleet said, although the city has increased drastically in population, the community has only one elementary school, the same as it had 60 years ago. STATE REPRESENTATIVE James Hansen estimates show the Farmington area will increase from 4,000 residents at the present time to 12,000 in 1985. The delegation asked the school board where Farmington had been placed on the school priority lists and where the board would place five and six year olds over the next several years. Assistant Superintendent John S. White said he was hopeful the school administration adminis-tration would have the purchase of a site pinned down in two or three months. Although the school district has the power of eminent domain in the purchase of a school site, "we don't want to use that unless we have to," he said. MUCH OF the property in the area is tied up in family ownership, but the district dis-trict hopes to acquire a site without condemnation, con-demnation, according to Dr. White. Superintendent Bernell Wrigley asked the delegation to wait until the end of the school year to decide on student placement. This will allow the administration adminis-tration to study enrollment figures carefully before deciding what to do with Farmington elementary students next year. HE SAID that in the past the district had been able to avoid split sessions in spite of overcrowding problems throughout the district. The survey had shown that parents preferred split session to the least popular alternatives of busing .children out of the community or the year-round school. Over 12 percent said they considered split sessions as a better alternative than the 48 percent who said their first choice was busing. About 3.9 percent voted for the year-around school as the best alternative. alter-native. , MARTA DELREE, Farmington Elementary PTA officer, said conclusions of the survey show that without further growth the 21-room Farmington Elementary Elemen-tary School is already two classrooms short. In the past, the busing of students to Kaysville schools has "been disruptive" disrup-tive" in addition to adding additional students to that community which is already overcrowded, she said. Hank Semadeni, who had provided much of the statistical work for the study, said the residents concur with the practice prac-tice of busing high school students from the community but opposes the busing of younger children. "We worry about mixing mix-ing our sixth grade students in buses with secondary students. They are the lowest on the pecking order." THE GROUP said an elementary school -in the community was the only permanent solution, but called for portable units for next year as the best temporary solution. Mrs. Delree explained the PTA favored the use of portable units because they were available quickly, they had been approved elsewhere in the district and, unlike buses, did not necessitate the shifting of children in the community. Residents said they would be willing to pay additional taxes if a new school were available, but Superintendent Wrigley said only city and county governments could vote for additional funding. School Board member Sheryl Allen asked the residents to attend the June school board meeting when the budget for the schools will be finalized to see "how tight the capital outlay budget is." MRS. SEMADENI said the committee-"is committee-"is not scheduled to fade out" and will make periodic reports to the community as to progress in obtaining additional school facilities. |
