As a homeowner and taxpayer, I was disappointed to learn that the Granite School District has adopted a blanket policy prohibiting dogs from school grounds at all times.
Many of us in this community do not have children, yet we still gladly pay property taxes because we value public education. However, those taxes also support public property that should remain accessible to the community outside of school hours.
I am not asking for access during the school day while students are present. My concern is with evenings, weekends and summer months when the grounds are otherwise unused. School property is public property, not private property. I do not believe schools should be chaining gates or prohibiting responsible residents from walking leashed dogs after hours.
I understand there have been problems with irresponsible pet owners who fail to clean up after their dogs. Instead of banning everyone, why not install waste bag dispensers, provide trash receptacles, or increase the grounds maintenance budget? Those improvements would benefit everyone and make better use of the tax dollars we all contribute.
There are already very few places for responsible dog owners to enjoy outdoor spaces with their pets, and off-leash dog parks are limited. A complete ban punishes responsible residents for the actions of a few.
I encourage the Granite School District to reconsider this policy and work with the community to find a balanced solution that protects school grounds while allowing reasonable public use after hours.
Charles Ouderkirk, Murray