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AMERICAN FORK — Over the last five months, voters in Utah County have been faced with a decision of potentially splitting up Alpine School District — the largest district in the state — through two separate interlocal agreements.

According to preliminary election results, 57.85% of voters whose ballots had been tallied voted in favor of Proposition 11, creating a new school district for the cities of Alpine, American Fork, Cedar Hills, Highland, Lehi and the portion of Draper that sits in Utah County.

This new district is tentatively being called the Central School District.

A second interlocal agreement, Proposition 14, between Saratoga Springs, Eagle Mountain, Cedar Fort and Fairfield forms a third district, currently being called the West School District, with 61.74% of voters whose ballots have been tallied voting in favor of Proposition 14.

That still leaves four cities within the now stripped-down Alpine School District — Orem, Vineyard, Lindon and Pleasant Grove — on the outside looking in.

Should the other two plans officially pass, the four cities will become a reorganized district by default.

Proposition 11

The feasibility study for the proposed Central School District concluded that the creation of the district would be a viable opportunity that could "provide less of a future property tax burden in these communities if they separated from the Alpine School District," according to a release from the city of Lehi.

"Creating a new district offers significant tax savings over staying in the Alpine School District," said the "for" portion of a voter information pamphlet sent out by the Utah County Clerk Election Division. "Due to deficit spending outside our area, staying together could lead to higher taxes, project delays, school closures, reduced services and financial strain on employees."

Another aspect of the argument for Proposition 11 is Alpine's current size. As the largest district in the state, the pamphlet argued that its size "makes it difficult to align educational priorities."

According to the pamphlet, the new district is expected to enroll 35,000 students.

"Our new district will be Utah's sixth-largest, benefiting from economies of scale while delivering tailored solutions. Similar-sized districts in Utah already enjoy smaller class sizes compared to ASD, which has the second-highest student-to-teacher ratio in the state. Focused support will elevate student success by attracting and retaining top-tier educators with better resources and leadership opportunities," the pamphlet says.

With this being said, the pamphlet also includes arguments against the split, with some of the biggest being tied to taxes and the financial burden of splitting.

"Splitting the Alpine School District may seem feasible, but it's detrimental to students, educators and the community. Financially burdensome, academically risky and disruptive, a split would unnecessarily dismantle one of Utah's highest-performing districts," says the "against" portion of the pamphlet.

The pamphlet also said a split would be costly, as keeping the district together would allow 14 cities to share expenses, as opposed to "burdening 2-3 smaller schools."

A common theme of the argument for keeping Alpine intact is the notion that the district is stronger at its current size.

"A larger group of communities working together is better equipped to weather changing demographics and inevitable economic fluctuations," the pamphlet said.

Proposition 14

According to a website for West School District — which includes Saratoga Springs, Eagle Mountain, Cedar Fort and Fairfield — the new district is expected to be home to 24,623 students, based on 2023 Alpine School District enrollment data.

The new district will likely be made up of 16 elementary schools, four middle schools and two high schools.

According to a voter information pamphlet on Proposition 14 sent out by the Utah County Clerk Election Division, the four cities forming a new district would provide more local control and fair representation and keep taxes local, retaining surplus funds, among a host of other arguments favoring the split.

"The schools in our four communities are overcrowded and underfunded. With only 2 (of 7) board members representing us, the Alpine School District is dominated by board members representing the long-established and well-served communities on the east side. A new district guarantees better representation, allowing local leaders to make choices that directly benefit our students," said the "for" portion of the pamphlet.

On the other hand, the pamphlet presented arguments against the split, saying forming a new district could impact educational programs that come with being part of a district the size of Alpine. Additionally, a survey of 581 local educators showed that 71% said a split would result in worse academic outcomes and educational programs for students.

The survey also revealed that 80% of local educators opposed the creation of a new district, with only 4% supporting the proposal to form three separate districts, according to the pamphlet. While a common argument for the new districts was rooted in more local control and representation, advocates against the split said a better solution would be to expand the size of Alpine's board.

Alas, early indications point to Utah County voters being in favor of forming three new districts, breaking up what once was the biggest school district in the Beehive State.

Related topics

Utah electionsUtah K-12 educationUtahPoliticsEducationUtah County

Logan Stefanich

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Logan Stefanich is a reporter with KSL.com, covering southern Utah communities, education, business and tech news.