Community Meeting To Improve Highland West Side Story

Monday night concerned parents, students, administrators and district personal congregated at The Sorenson Center in Salt Lake City to discuss important matters regarding the west end of Highland High’s boundaries.

A conference room was half full as Principal Chris Jenson explained the need to improve resources and the Highland community on the west side.

Jenson raised his hand and asked the members of the audience, “How do we serve the west side better?”

Parent Terrie Williams launched the discussion by expressing her concerns for bus transportation to and from Highland High. Williams mentioned that bus schedules are off, overcrowded and students aren’t able to receive after school attention due to strict bus schedules. Williams also voiced her concern about students who are arriving home an hour after the end of school.

Possible solutions to Williams worries were examined of which included improvement of bus routes and maps, including bus routes in ramp camp and simply practicing the routes outside of the school year.

Other main issues were reviewed. Jenson added, those who live on the west side and participate in sports, often don’t have a ride home due to the longevity of practices. How do students “commit”?

Also, the long practiced “pick two” was brought up as a concern. Some students aren’t able to fulfill such distilled ideas due to transportation issues, according to parents.

However, the key issue that Jenson was most concerned with was the fact that students who are due to serve after school detention often times miss their bus leaving them to wait an hour and 15 minutes after the make up is completed, for the activity bus. Ideas for solutions included make up for tardies on late start Mondays or all at once after school and then a one time ride on the activity bus. However, the activity bus is overcrowded. On average the one bus, seats between 30 and 40 students.

Another concerned member of the audience mentioned the idea of a Highland classes being taught on the west side. However, Monica Gomez Rogerson of the PACE Program was concerned that such an idea would disunite the school. If the students are not all coming to the same place and participating in the same classroom discussions, the “Highland family” would be lost.

However, this community meeting was meant to discuss ideas and none of which are set in stone. Jenson plans to hold another community meeting in hopes of hearing the opinions of more people.

“If we don’t do something special with our time, we’re wasting it,” Jenson said.

Perhaps another issue discussed Monday night should have been the lack of attendance. Despite the publicity of the meeting, Jenson was disappointed that the community did not come together as well as he thought they would. If such a meeting is to be successful, a better attendance should be achieved. With more bodies comes more voices and perhaps that’s what the west side needs, voices to be heard.