With the first day of school set for Wednesday, Aug. 12, Granite School District families are publicly challenging the district's special education restructuring that will cut resource teacher positions at three Millcreek elementary schools.

Bonniejean Brucks, whose 9-year-old daughter Krista Grace has Down syndrome, told KUTV on Tuesday, Aug. 4 that when she requested curriculum enhancements to her daughter's Individualized Education Program, the district moved Krista's services to Woodstock Elementary. The change replaced a short walk to her neighborhood school, Upland Terrace Elementary, with roughly an hour-long bus ride each way.

"Taking a child out of the community that they love and thrive in and being pushed away to Woodstock Elementary is basically a form of institutionalization," Brucks said.

The situation is not unique to one family.

As we reported July 21, Morningside Elementary drops from 1.0 to 0.5 full-time equivalent in special education resource teachers, serving 16 students on IEPs. Moss Elementary falls from 2.0 to 1.5 FTE with 40 IEP students. Penn Elementary goes from 1.5 to 1.0 FTE, serving 22.

District-wide, elementary paraeducator support drops 35.6%, from 8,263 hours per week last year to 5,322 hours in 2026-27.

Superintendent Ben Horsley told KUTV the district has seen a 78% increase in students with the highest levels of need since the 2023-24 school year. He said declining enrollment has reduced state funding, while the expiration of pandemic-era Medicaid eligibility rules and an undercount of eligible students have also strained finances. Some students with less severe disabilities will see changes in how they receive services, Horsley said, because the district must allocate additional resources to meet federal requirements for higher-need students.

Horsley added that the district plans to evaluate services closely and make adjustments throughout the year.

The Granite Board of Education was scheduled to meet Tuesday, Aug. 4 at 5 p.m. for its last regular session before school starts. The posted agenda did not list special education as a formal item, though the meeting includes a Patron Participation period for public comment. No outcome was available at publication time.

The district's own special education FAQ, published July 10, states that lack of staff or budget "is not an acceptable reason to reduce, suspend, or omit required IEP services." Any IEP change must involve the parent and be based on the student's current data.

District compliance managers review student counts and service data every four to six weeks after school begins, meaning staffing adjustments at Morningside, Moss and Penn could come in September or October. Parents who believe an IEP accommodation is not being implemented can request an IEP meeting at any time.

What's next

• Wednesday, Aug. 12: First day of school for Granite School District
• Tuesday, Aug. 18, 6 p.m.: Truth in Taxation hearing at the Granite Education Center, 2500 South State Street, South Salt Lake. The proposed $21.7 million tax increase, about 11.2% above the certified rate, is a re-attempt of a 2025-26 proposal the Utah State Tax Commission denied on a procedural technicality. Without it, Business Administrator Todd Hauber warned at the June 16 budget hearing, the district faces a $21 million shortfall requiring immediate reductions.