Lomond View Elementary in Pleasant View will remain open after a closely watched vote by the Weber School District board on Wednesday night. Parents, students and staff who had rallied for months to save the school welcomed the decision, even as district leaders warned that long term closure is still on the table.
At a meeting at district offices in Washington Terrace, board members voted against closing the school and redistributing students to nearby campuses. Instead, Superintendent Gina Butters called for a deeper, district wide review of enrollment, population growth and building conditions before any permanent moves are made.
District Delays Closure, Orders Deeper Study
Butters told the board that while officials had focused heavily on Lomond View’s age and student numbers, the broader picture for the entire district is still shifting. The school was built in 1959 and now faces increasing infrastructure needs, rising maintenance costs and required state safety upgrades.
She recommended hiring an outside consultant to analyze:
- Current and projected enrollment across the Weber School District
- Facility age and condition in each community
- Long term capital needs and safety requirements
The goal is to create a facilities plan that could guide decisions over the next decade. Board members signaled support for a comprehensive review but took no formal action beyond voting to keep Lomond View open.
Weber School District, which serves roughly 32,000 students across Weber County outside of Ogden, publishes board information and planning updates on its official site, the Weber School District. State level standards and building requirements are overseen by the Utah State Board of Education.
Parents Celebrate A Win, But Know Fight May Continue
Parents who helped organize a campaign to keep the school open said they felt both relieved and realistic.
Chad Hill, who has two children at Lomond View, said families are grateful for the immediate outcome but understand that future closure is still a real possibility.
“We’re relieved that for now they are leaving the school alone,” he said, adding that parents plan to stay engaged as the district wide study moves forward.
Chaulyn Isakson, another parent leader, said many families feel hopeful because they believe the board listened and is now looking at data more carefully. She also called the process an important lesson for students about civic engagement and speaking up for their community.
How the Closure Debate Started
District officials launched a formal study on Lomond View Elementary in early September. With the building’s age and what they believed were declining enrollment trends in Pleasant View and North Ogden, administrators floated the idea of closing the school and moving students to:
- Orchard Springs Elementary in Pleasant View
- North Ogden Elementary in North Ogden
Both of those schools are newer and currently operating below capacity. The proposal argued that consolidating students could make more efficient use of space and reduce long term costs.
Parents at Lomond View pushed back hard. They highlighted:
- Strong academic performance by Lomond View students
- A tight knit school culture and community feel
- Concerns that closing the school could overcrowd neighboring campuses
- Doubts that enrollment declines would continue long term
Community Response Helped Shape The Outcome
In response to the closure study, parents mobilized quickly. They:
- Produced a detailed 23 page report arguing to keep the school open
- Spoke for nearly four hours at a public hearing last month
- Met with school board members and elected officials
- Held peaceful demonstrations in front of the school
By Wednesday’s meeting, the effort had clearly made an impact. While no final guarantees were made about the long term future of Lomond View, district leaders agreed that any decision needs to be based on complete, district wide data, not just a single school snapshot.
For now, students and staff at Lomond View Elementary will finish the year in the building they fought to keep, as the district steps back to reconsider how its schools should look in the years ahead.
