Opened only two years ago, Rose Springs is already over capacity

When Rose Springs Elementary opened in 2005 it had an enrollment of 570 students and a capacity of 650 students. At the time, Tooele County School District Superintendent Mike Johnsen joked that the school might reach capacity the next year. As it turns out, he was right — and then some.

Rose Springs grew to 691 students by 2006, then jumped up to 782 this year, making it the largest and fastest-growing school in the district.

The boundaries for Rose Springs include parts of two of the county’s fastest-growing residential areas: Stansbury Park and Lake Point.

In his first year at Rose Springs, new principal Leon Jones finds himself in a building that is at 121 percent of capacity. Jones said the district anticipated growth at Rose Springs, and actual enrollment this year was 12 students below their projection. Three additional teachers were initially hired during the summer, and an additional kindergarten and first-grade teacher were hired two days before school opened.

To make room for the additional kindergarten classroom, the school’s reading specialist and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs were moved from their small room, originally designated as a resource classroom. Megan Downard, in her first year of teaching, moved into their space. With two days to get ready, Downard decorated the windowless space with a lot of color.

“It’s tight with 22 kids now, and it’s hard to walk around, but the kids are learning and we’re having fun,” said Downard.

The ESL program moved into a storage closet in the office. Inside the small space there is barely enough room for a desk with three students and the teacher. Anna Gonzales, the ESL instructor, made a fake window for one wall of the room. Ally Larsen, reading specialist, moved into a conference room behind the office.

“At least I have a window,” said Larsen.

Last year, special education teachers used Larsen’s space for conferences and testing. She still sometimes leaves her room and returns to find it in use.

Larsen and Gonzales are looking forward to moving into a portable that was just moved to Rose Springs from Harris Elementary. The portable will also be home to Linda Mair’s fourth-grade class.

Mair taught in the Granite School District for four years before being hired this year to teach fourth grade at Rose Springs. She spent three weeks before school started setting up her classroom, arranging desks and putting up bulletin boards. But when a classroom was needed for the additional first-grade class, Mair knew she was the logical one to move. The weekend before school started, Principal Jones came to her home and told her that she would be moving into the computer room until a portable could be relocated to the school.

“This is nothing new,” said Mair. “We went through the same problem in Granite. The state won’t let you build a new school until you can demonstrate the need.”

Rose Springs’ faculty room doubles as storage space for reading material, and also serves as space for counselors to meet with students while teachers are not eating lunch.

Heather Tyler, PTA president at the school, remained positive about the crowded situation.

“It hasn’t been easy. There is no storage space and some of the older classes have 34 students in them, but we’re doing the best we can,” said Tyler.

Each room has been assigned two room parents, and other parents volunteer to take some of the load off teachers.

Jones indicated that the opening of Settlement Canyon next year will do little to alleviate crowding at Rose Springs. More portables will need to be added if Rose Springs continues to grow, and eventually another new elementary school will need to be built, said Jones.

Tyler’s concern is for the future.

“Will the middle schools be ready to absorb the fifth and sixth-grade classes as they come up to middle school?” she asks.

Tim Gillie: tgillie@tooeletranscript.com