Education
Lehi votes to start ASD exit with AF, Highland, Alpine and Cedar Hills
Today marked the beginning of the end for Alpine School District (ASD), Utah’s largest school district as we know it. Established in 1915 with fewer than 5,000 students, the district has grown to educate nearly 85,000 students in 2024.
ASD just recently concluded its reconfiguration study conducted by MGT Consulting. The six-month study, which yielded six viable reconfiguration plans, concluded with a recommendation to the ASD Board by MGT Consulting earlier this month. The proposal recommended a two-way district split, which did not sit well with many cities in the northern and western areas of the district.
In a decisive move, Lehi City convened a special meeting on Monday where the City Council voted to initiate proceedings to form an interlocal agreement with American Fork, Highland, Alpine, Cedar Hills and the portion of Draper situated in Utah County. The northeast cities have been in negotiations for several weeks and agreed over the weekend to move forward with a unified district split.
The three western ASD School Board members, Stacy Bateman, Joylin Lincoln and Julie King, all support the interlocal agreement and have been involved in the discussions leading up to this point. Lincoln and King were in attendance at Monday’s emergency meeting.
“No final decisions are being made today. We’re getting prepared to make a filing with the county tomorrow. There will be a lot of opportunities for discussion and public comment. This is just the beginning of the process,” said Lehi Mayor Mark Johnson.
The first step in this process will be Mayor Johnson, the designated interlocal agreement leader, formally notifying Utah County Clerk Aaron Davidson of the cities’ intent to create their new school district through an interlocal agreement. There will then be a 45-day public comment period with at least two public hearings to solicit community feedback. After the 45-day window, the respective city councils will convene to vote on establishing the new district for voter approval.
Saratoga Springs, Eagle Mountain, Cedar Valley and Fairfield are set to take similar action by voting on Monday evening to initiate the formation of a western school district. This leaves Pleasant Grove, Lindon, Orem and Vineyard in the midst of working through a southern interlocal agreement so each region can determine their educational future.
“The west, who is meeting tonight, will be recognizing support for our interlocal movement, and we should do the same in our motion. We aren’t competing, and we don’t overlap; we’re supporting each other’s interlocals,” said Johnson before taking a motion during Monday’s meeting.
“I’m vested in the success of this split, not only for Lehi but also for all cities to be part of a viable, strong district. There is a long list of things to consider, and ensuring we have good outcomes and paths forward for each district is essential to me. All the cities have shared that same desire with me. The possibility of a split has united the leadership of our cities, and we have formed relationships that will help us look out for each other and ensure that future districts will be empowered to work together to support our teachers and children,” said Lehi City council member Heather Newall in a social media post Sunday night.
Newall motioned to approve the interlocal agreement on Monday, and council member Chris Condie seconded the motion before receiving unanimous support from the Lehi City Council.
Voters will ultimately decide the fate of these proposed districts when they cast their ballots in the upcoming November General Election. Voters will only vote on the interlocal agreement district directly affecting their city.
