WEBER COUNTY, Utah — Weber School District's first day of school is Wednesday. This school year, West Field High School, Mountain View Junior High, and Haven Bay Elementary are the newest additions to the district's 49 schools.
The three brand-new schools are bringing a lot of excitement and already some complaints.
In order to add the new schools, new boundaries had to be rearranged.
Because of the boundary changes, some students once bussed to school no longer qualify for district transport.
If parents are unable to drive their children to school, some parents say their elementary schoolers will now have to walk 30 minutes to school alone.
"That's been a surprise for some and frustrating for others, especially working parents or single parents," said Janel Hulbert, a parent with the Weber School District.
Hulbert's children all used to be taken to school via bus. She now has to drive her two elementary schoolers.
It's out of the district's control what's a designated "walk zone." Those limitations are set by the state.
"For elementary, it's a mile-and-a-half. For secondary schools, it's two miles," said Lane Findlay with the Weber School District.
Families also stressed that some neighborhoods don't have sidewalks. Major construction is also a concern.
"Times have changed and I think people worry more about that," said Hulbert. "We are in a bigger city and we’re growing as well. A lot of parents worry about that more than they would’ve maybe a generation ago or two generations ago."
The district said the boundary changes and new schools were necessary because other buildings had way too many students.
"Sometimes these overcrowded schools feels like a salmon trying to swim upstream," said Matthew Patterson, principal of the new Mountain View Junior High.
Mountain View Junior High is the only school out of the new trio that will open its doors on time. Construction delayed the other two buildings from also opening Aug. 21.
"[Students] walk in and their eyes open up super wide," said Patterson. "There's just a sense of excitement. To see it on their faces, it doesn't get old."
The district is hoping West Field High School and Haven Bay Elementary can wrap up necessary construction and open its doors Sept. 3. Even then, the schools won't be completely done.
"There's going to be a lot of work still happening over the next several months," said Findlay.
