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Show al Page 6-Wasatch Canyon Reporter, 22 March - 4 April 1 995 Continued School's in attend public schools, accord- Jessica is 12 and son Patrick ing to the district office. is nine. To them the drive is part of a life in the canyon. Susan says her children have missed no more than four port by running a private school with creative teaching tactics. Shrontz has taught art for elementary students and coordinated special projects for valley elementary schools. She suggests using the resources in the canyon for teaching part-time and use the - days this year because of snowy conditions. rest of the day for volunteer instruction by community ooitt Alta? Raymond Whittenberg stresses that Alta and the district have discussed the school issue only once. However, he confirmed that if the Jordan District were to open a school in Alta, it would provide $2,800 per pupil. That figure is based on Utah’s overall tax pool for public education The district and the community estimate a school in Alta would cost about $50,000 a year. Wieringa figures there are 11 potential students between kindergarten and fifth grade, which would put the community $20,000 short. _ almost School in members patrollers, people to make this place work, and some of them GINA E.LEOPARDI Hair Stylist. Home to Montana. “It contributes to us the district did provide trans- have a community, then they need to address the issue that going to Montana so much,” he says. “It’s been going on for years. It’s pretty much driven families out of Alta. If they want to call it a town and portation, some wouldn’t trust anything by an expensive if we people have kids and those kids are going to grow up.” Wieringa also spends the want to put all our eggs in one warmer months in Glacier basket twice a day,” Jim Collinson says. For the same reason, the district has followed an informal policy of not providing a bus service., Whittenberg. says. Until now. Better vehicles have lead him to discuss Park, running a river rafting company with Stoneman. But Wieringa cannot spend as four-wheel drive van. “We s the don’t know issue with the much time away from Alta as his partner. He admits he will have to make some decisions between his role in Alta and his children’s education if there is no school. — But Wieringa insists leaving should be unnecessary. Alta has the basics of a sus- Utah Deportment of Transportation. the nearest public school is Granite Elementary in East about tainable community - a post office, a fire station, a population of 397 and a green road sign informing all visitors of the fact. Moving out because there is no school would be a a 15-minute drive from Alta. But children would lose many of the benefits of living cooks from the local restaurants. AM aig E.R 29 South State, Suite 007 Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 Phone (801) 363-4247 schooling makes bus.” oe Most families cite twisty Highway 210 with daily traffic, snowy conditions and frequent closures as the primary disincentive to simply driving their kids to school. Even if school everyday ue to drive her kids Challenger everyday. © \. E:T in the in the canyon by busing to But the Brishkes understand why the families with Howell to propose legislation granting Alta special status as kindergartners would rather - an isolated community and a see a school in Alta. “Just because we wouldgreater share of the public n’t use a school personally education tax pool. May of the school’s advo- - doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be useful,” says Don Brishke, ~ cate doubt it would be public, who agrees a school would simply because there is too help preserve the community. little funding for public edu“The two main reasons this cation in general to justify canyon loses people are _ spending tax dollars on a few because of weak knees and kids in Alta. school-aged children.” “In a small community, Even Whittenberg hints things are more important to that Alta should not hold its that community than to the breath for a district-funded rest of the population,” says school as he grimly recalls Susan Brischke, who drives that the Jordan District once her kids Jessica and Patrick had 10 schools in the rural 30-minutes to Challenger Oquirrh Mountain communiElementary, a private school, every day. “I just can’t see it ties, some of them with as many as 60 students. They happening.” have all since closed due to Susan Brischke and her husband Don have lived in lack of public education money. ( Alta for six years. They careJody Shrontz, an Alta take a property for a living, town council member, says allowing them a flexible Alta can do without tax supschedule. Their daughter AN says, “why them anxious to return to Sandy, have to live here.” recently lobbied Senator Scott Me such as_ ski local artists or “It takes Knowledgeable Private sources would most likely supplement the rest, a practice that has precedent says Whittenberg. “You can donate to a public school.” Alta Mayor Bill Levitt or no school Alta, she says she will contin- Shrontz world don’t we have a school “They weekend shame, he says. would skiers,” 399 become | says Jim “We don’t forced out of want to be town in a “Teaching them life expe- Collinson. A family could bonafide rience,” she says, will accent give their kids weekend skiing by living in the valley and fight traffic only on the weekends instead of skiing everyday. Some families have abandoned traditional schooling and home school their children because of the obstacles Alta faces in its school search because we have kids.” — Marshall understands anything they learn from expensive, traditional curricula. | | Even if Alta opted for a private school, it would have to be accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges. The town must also decide how many grades to put under one roof. A broad age group would bring in more funding, either through private school tuition or public school tax dollars. On the other hand, too many ages in one environment makes teaching and learning impractical. | Shrontz thinks a fifth grade cut-off is too high. Grades 1-3 is a more reasonable grouping because teachers can receive a certification in Utah for those levels. Shrontz also says kindergarten should be taught separately, possibly through a cooperation with the Alta Day | Care Center. “They need. different things,” she says. Until a school of any kind is established, many families would be happy with a reliable bus service to the Jordan Schools. “In the meantime,” Darwin Stoneman, a community just Wieringa’s complaint as she sits in the empty chapel imagining it filled with children at — desks. She, too, was forced to compromise her life in Alta as she knew it when he oldest child came of school age. Her family moved into the valley three years ago although she Wasatch Powderbird Guide and her husband work in Alta. who often helps’ with avalanche control work in Alta, and his wife Terry, home “T couldn’t conceive of getting my child to kindergarten,” she says. “So we school their children Cassie, became commuters.” 8, and D.J., 5. - Other families suggest organizing a home schooling program so that the group of kindergartens could learn together. Levitt once taught a home schooling program for a handful of the local kids, including his own. It was about 30 years ago he says, “When you could ski fresh powder for seven days after a Too many families making the same decision could storm instead of seven hours.” The Stoneman’s live in Alta for only three months our of the year, spending the remainder in Glacier Park, threaten the community, she admits. But community is an elusive term in Alta. Even with a school, Alta will still lack other civic building blocks. And after fourth or fifth grade, kids will still need a school not available in Little » Cottonwood Canyon. “Are we just prolonging | the fun?” she asks. “And even if there is a school, you don’t have a grocery.” As if to let her thoughts settle, she signs and stares out Montana. “Terry isn’t happy about home schooling,” he > the chapel window as a sunny day gains momentum on a says. But driving to a valley busy lift area. “Give me a botschool for such a short amount of time is not worth tle of wine and I could go on it, he says. forever..#WCR | |