Deer Creek High School is under construction along state Route 113, just west of downtown Heber.
With the new high school set to open in fall 2026, the Wasatch County School District has been talking about how to divide students between Wasatch High School and Deer Creek for about a year.
That discussion was meant to come to a close Tuesday night after a public hearing. But after around 80 community members packed the meeting room to share their concerns, the board opted to delay a final boundary decision.
The boundary up for approval uses Highway 40 as a natural boundary on the south end of the valley. At Heritage Farms Parkway, the boundary continues east to the Red Ledges private community, then heads north.
Students who live east of Highway 40 would have attended Timpanogos Middle School and Wasatch High. Students to the west would have gone to Rocky Mountain Middle School and Deer Creek High.
The public’s biggest complaint was that the proposed boundary split Daniels Canyon and J.R. Smith Elementary students between the middle schools.
Parents and students emphasized splitting students makes it difficult for kids to make friends. They also said school choice — where students apply to go to a school outside their boundary — is not feasible for everyone.
So, the board tabled their boundary discussion. It’s not immediately clear how soon it will be addressed again.
Superintendent Garrick Peterson did note, however, the deadline to approve new boundaries is looming. For Deer Creek to have high school sports, the Utah High School Association must know how many students will attend by mid-December.
If the boundary proposal is altered significantly, another 30-day notice is required before another can be approved.
