The Wasatch County School Board on Friday paused a final vote on proposed school boundary adjustments for the 2026–27 school year after more than an hour of public testimony, saying it will review alternative options before making a decision.

The public hearing, convened after a Rocky Mountain Middle School music performance, drew more than two dozen speakers from Daniels Canyon, J.R. Smith, Wheeler Park and other neighborhoods who pleaded with the board to avoid splitting elementary schools and to preserve student peer groups as students move into middle and high school. After public comment the board attempted to adopt a previously published scenario but the motion died for lack of a second; a subsequent motion to table the boundary proposal passed by voice vote.

Why it matters: The district is opening Deer Creek High School and needs to redraw feeder patterns for middle and high schools. Residents said the primary harms would be social and safety related — children reassigned across busy corridors such as Highway 40 and Main Street — and that school choice is not an equal solution for families without flexible transportation. District staff warned that changing the proposal significantly would trigger another 30-day public notice and hearing period under state law and could compress deadlines tied to extracurricular classification timelines.

Public commenters described personal impacts. Lindy Rio, a Daniels Canyon resident and foster parent, said continuity with friends is crucial: “If the junior high band — how important the connection in these bonds are — splitting this elementary school, I don't believe is in the best interest of these kids.” Chantelle McPhee said her daughter “burst into tears” when told she would be rezoned, and that sending students to a new high school with no friends could harm mental health. Seventh‑grader Tesla Caudle, from the J.R. Smith boundary, told the board it “doesn’t make sense” that a small pocket of her neighborhood would be shifted away from Timpanogos Middle School.

Board response and next steps: Board members said they had heard the public’s concerns and wanted more time to examine options that would reduce splits in elementary feeder patterns. Board member Corey Holmes moved to table the proposal, saying, “I personally wanna relook at this one last time and make sure we're doing the right thing.” The motion to table carried by voice vote; the board did not record an itemized roll‑call tally in the public transcript. Superintendent Gary Peterson said staff will return to the board quickly with refined scenarios because of deadlines tied to athletics classification and program access: “we will champion that like it's the greatest plan that ever existed,” he said, but warned the district may need an expedited study session and that a materially different boundary could require a new 30‑day hearing cycle.

What the record shows: The public hearing’s procedural rules limited speakers to two minutes apiece. Residents raised three recurring themes: (1) avoid splitting elementary schools where feasible; (2) address transportation and safety where students would have to cross Highway 40 or Main Street; and (3) ensure program access (for example, Air Force JROTC remaining at Wasatch High School) for students regardless of new boundaries. The transcript includes multiple requests that the district consider narrow boundary tweaks to keep small pockets of neighborhoods with their existing feeder patterns.

What’s next: The board tabled final boundary adoption and asked staff to prepare alternative maps and to schedule one or more special study sessions so the board can act before classification deadlines in December or, if the boundary changes are substantial, return the proposal to a 30‑day public hearing. The board asked staff to prioritize keeping elementary feeder patterns intact where possible, while balancing longer‑range demographic projections and program equity.