8 cities to decide if Alpine School District split should be on November ballot

AMERICAN FORK — Eight different cities voted Tuesday to place the decision of an Alpine School District split on the November ballot.

The Alpine School District is the state’s largest district with more than 84,000 students. For months now, debates and public comment have been taking place in a variety of Utah County cities on whether the district should be split into two or possibly three different districts.

Six city councils, including Alpine, Lehi, Cedar Hills, American Fork, Draper and Highland, approved asking voters if they want to form a Central School District. While the remaining two city councils, Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs, approved asking voters if they want to create a West School District, which would include the town of Fairfield.

Alpine was the first city to cast its vote at noon on Tuesday. The vote was unanimous by the Alpine City Council to put the issue on the November ballot. One city official told KSL TV that it’s a no-brainer which way the council should vote.

“I feel like you can’t go wrong by allowing the people to make the choice and that’s what we are allowing the people to do instead of preventing them from having that option,” said Alpine Mayor Carla Merrill.

Lehi was the second city to vote at 4 p.m. Lehi also voted unanimously to move the issue to the November ballot.

“I think it’s the best route because it puts it in the hands of the voters. I think that was always the best option,” said Heather Newell, of the Lehi City Council.

Newell said splitting the district will give more attention to the students.

“Being able to go from seven school board members to possibly 21. It would mean a lot of representation from people who are in the community that could help it, that would be a real great bonus,” she said.

Saratoga Springs, Cedar Hills, and American Fork then took up the vote during their council meetings starting at 6 pm.

They each followed in Alpine and Lehi’s footsteps.

American Fork City Council member Staci Carroll explained that they’re trying to figure out how to position themselves so their residents “can be in the best situation possible.”

“I’m hoping that this will give them opportunities and choices so that they can make decisions for themselves,” she said.

She said American Fork is right on the edge of the possible split, and would serve as the boundary between school districts.

It would mean, Carroll said, that neighbors in some neighborhoods could be split into two different districts, with some technically living in Pleasant Grove and remaining in the Alpine School District.

“I’m hoping that there could be — if there was a potential split — there could be some agreements in place that would help make sure that everybody is taken care of, especially along the border,” Carroll said.

Lastly, Draper, Eagle Mountain, and Highland City discussed the issue during their 7 p.m. meetings. Each gave the green light, with Highland City making the final decision of the day.

City leaders described reading and listening to thousands of citizen comments between public hearings, emails, website submission, phone calls, and in-person.

Highland City Mayor Kurt Ostler said he heard concerns for and against a school district split, but that in going through public comments, most agreed with bringing it to the ballot.

“That’s what we were hearing, is that that will be one of the top things I’d like to have, is to have it be presented,” he said.

Ostler indicated that constituents had questions over a district split’s impact on school district assets, city taxes, teacher employment, school programs, etc.

He said a study was done to look at a Central School District.

“That study came back that, yes, it would be feasible to do the district split,” Ostler said. “And it actually showed it would probably be financially beneficial for the Central School District.”

If approved during the November election, voters would elect new school board members and work would begin to initiate a split, with the new districts becoming operational in July 2027.

The fine details would have to be hammered out along the way, and Ostler said a new board would vote on some of those decisions like taxes.

For now, he expects the coming months to be focused on education, with a push by advocates from both sides.

Ostler knows the conversation amongst citizens will continue.

“We’re asking for them to come engage, to educate,” Ostler said. “And then we ask for them to vote.”