Some parents in the Alpine School District are growing frustrated, as they claim the upcoming district split has brought some important matters to a grinding ha
Some parents in the Alpine School District are growing frustrated, as they claim the upcoming district split has brought some important matters to a grinding halt. These parents said they were assured that the district would start working on things like creating new boundaries for crowded schools.
Now, they’re not sure when that’s going to happen, if ever. KUTV reached out to officials in Lehi and asked what they were doing to prepare for the new school district that they’ll be part of.They said they had the authority to help name the new district, but that was essentially all they could do until new school board members were elected. Parents in Lehi said they are frustrated that they’ll have to wait before important changes can happen. Stephanie Dorsey still loves North Point Elementary School in Lehi. She used to be the PTA President. Despite that, she feels she needed to pull her children out. “It absolutely has nothing to do with our teachers and administration. We love North Point. It has been great," she said. The problem, according to Dorsey, is that the school is getting too crowded and the district didn’t properly plan for growth in the area. “We started at the school and around 1,000 or maybe around 1,100 . They’re projecting 1,300 students this next year. Class sizes are very large. They have seven kindergartens coming in,” Dorsey said. “The school has just gotten to be so overcrowded that the kids who are doing well are falling through the cracks.” Dorsey said she begged the district to conduct a boundary study, and she claimed they conducted an informal one. However, she said once the voters decided to split the Alpine School District into three parts, all of those plans were put on hold. “Now, since the district split has happened, it seems like we almost have a lame duck, for lack of a better term, school board, and there’s not a lot that they can do,” she said.For instance, they were considering closing schools in Orem and mapping new boundaries for special education classes. However, all of that is on hold, too. Alpine School District Communications Director Rich Stowell said those plans can’t move forward until after those new school boards are created in the November election. "We have no authority in new school districts, but what we do have is some influence. We can provide some examples and set some precedent, culture, and best practices for new school districts to adopt, if they choose," Stowell said. He said the district doesn’t believe it would be appropriate for them to make plans that would impact other districts. So, all those changes that were potentially in the works will have to be made by the new school boards.=“There are certain things that those school districts can do, like name themselves. But, there are really no employees of those school districts, so it’s a little bit of a conundrum. They exist as legal entities, but they have no employees and no real leaders at this point, until the new school boards are elected and seated,” he said. The Alpine School District will be split into three new entities, which have been named, at least temporarily. Lake Mountain School District will cover Eagle Mountain, Saratoga Springs, Fairfield, and Cedar Fort. Aspen Peaks will have Lehi, American Fork, Cedar Hills, Alpine, Highland, and part of Draper. Then, the Timpanogos School District will cover Orem, Lindon, Pleasant Grove, and Vineyard.“That’s when all property and operational responsibility is transferred from the Alpine School District to the three new districts. On that date, Alpine School District will no longer exist," Stowell said.“Number one ... To keep learning levels high for all of our students. Number two ... To set the conditions for the new school districts to continue those high levels of learning," Stowell said. Stowell said the best thing parents can do is find the people who they believe would be the best candidates for the three new school boards, and to get their campaigns started.
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