Housing planned at The Point in Draper could send about 200 new students to three neighborhood schools by 2029. Business Administrator Leon Wilcox presented the estimate to the Canyons School District Board of Education on Tuesday, Oct. 6.

The development calls for 840 units on 50 acres: 160 detached homes, 370 townhomes and 310 condos, according to a district board summary. Construction is set to begin in 2027. The housing falls within the current attendance boundaries of Alta High School, Draper Park Middle School and Willow Springs Elementary School.

The enrollment estimate comes as the district trends in the opposite direction. Canyons currently has 30,365 students, down 2,566 since the 2022-23 school year. Statewide, public school enrollment has dropped from about 675,000 in 2022 to roughly 661,000, Wilcox reported.

In April, Wilcox told the board that high-density housing yields fewer students than single-family homes. "We don't get a whole lot of kids from high-density apartments. We get roughly six to eight for every 100 units," he said during public hearings on proposed school consolidations, as reported by the Draper Journal.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported in July that the Point of the Mountain Land Authority was seeking developers to build up to 900 homes in The Point's River District, with construction targeted for spring 2028. The district's 840-unit figure, drawn from the development plan presented to the board, differs from the Tribune's 900-home count. The reason for the difference is not clear from public records.

Boundary study on the table

Separately, the district identified MGT Impact Solutions, a Tampa, Fla.-based demographics consulting firm, as its preferred vendor for a 10-year boundary and enrollment study. The firm specializes in enrollment forecasting and has worked with Utah districts including Davis, Granite and Jordan.

If retained, MGT would examine boundaries, possible school consolidations, facility uses and construction needs. The district's Long-Range Planning Committee is evaluating the proposal. No contract has been finalized.

Semester calendar change proposed for 2027-28

The district administration is also moving forward with a proposal to end first semester before Winter Recess, starting in the 2027-28 school year.

Human Resources Director Tiffany Midgley presented survey results from about 5,000 respondents. About 65.8 percent, nearly two-thirds, said they preferred finishing first semester before the winter break. The survey also found 44.4 percent favored a fixed A/B block schedule, with A days on Mondays and Wednesdays, B days on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Fridays alternating.

Formal proposals for the 2028-29 and tentative 2029-30 calendars will follow once the 2027-28 calendar is confirmed. The district's Long-Range Planning Committee is scheduled to meet Friday, Oct. 9, to review the residential development plans and enrollment data.