Politics & Government
Alpine School Board District 3 Candidate Q&A
Megan Wallgren | Lehi Free Press
The Lehi Free Press reached out to candidates running for the Alpine School District School Board District 3 seat and asked them to participate in a question-and-answer format article to share their views on education issues facing the area. The seat covering Lehi High School and Skyridge cluster areas is currently held by Stacy Bateman.
Update: Challenger Brian Bird provided his responses on 10/29/24 at 11:18 p.m. They were added to the digital version of the story on 10/30/24. Bird’s answers do not appear in the newspaper version of the story, as they were received after press deadlines.
Lehi Free Press: Why are you running for an Alpine School District board seat?
Stacy Bateman: The last four years have been an incredible privilege, and I would love the opportunity to continue to serve our community. With the ever-changing nature of public education and reconfiguration, I will bring consistency and continued support for our students and employees. We’ve done great things, and we’ve also navigated incredibly challenging times. As I evolve in this role, new ideas and ways to collaborate surface. Our community is very invested in our students and their future, and working together is a priority. This relationship benefits our current students as well as those who will come in the future.
Brian Bird: I am the product of public education. My mother taught elementary school in Nebo School district.
I am at a point in my life where I have the time to give back to the community I live, and like that this position is non-political, and is something I believe in strongly, which is the better we teach our kids, the better our community and future will be.
LFP: What are your most important qualifications?
Bateman: I’ve been involved in Education in a variety of capacities over the last 25 years. I have a master’s degree in education administration and supervision. I serve on the ASD Finance, Teaching & Learning, and Student & Employee Support committees.
In addition to these assignments, I substitute teach each month to stay connected to our students and faculty. I have served in a variety of PTA positions, including the National PTA Board, and several school community councils. I regularly attend the SCCand PTA meetings for schools in my area. I also serve on the ASD Suicide Prevention Coalition Executive Board.
Bird: I graduated from BYU in construction management. I graduated from law school and worked as an attorney in Michigan before moving my family back to Utah during the COVID-19 pandemic. I believe my education and experience as a lawyer, building contractor, business owner and experience as father of children who have attend public schools will help me be a great help on the school board.
LFP: What is your position on Proposition 11, which would split the Alpine School District?
Bateman: I support Proposition 11 to increase student opportunities, local representation, and attention to capital projects. We need a configuration to support current and future students. Currently, our students do not have access to the same programs and student support that other areas of the current district have. Some of these include Dual Language Immersion, Advanced Learning Lab, multi-lingual support, and Title I funds. Our special education students need better facilities and support. In the new district, there will be seven board members to cover all six municipalities, and decisions will be made by those who live in our communities.
Bird: This decision will be made by the voters before I will even start serving as your board member. I will completely respect the decision of the voters and will carry out their wishes.
That said, I wish our prior board would have been able to work together and make the hard decisions needed to operate efficiently by consolidating the super small schools in areas where enrollment has dropped so much that schools have only a few hundred students.
And I wish board members would have spent more time acting in the best interest of the district they were serving instead of spending time trying to divide the district. I am sure there will be a point in time that a split will be needed, but haven’t seen any statistics of where ASD is failing its students and teachers. Most parents I speak with ask how and why is a district split being considered. And majority of teachers I hear from are against the split, but either way I will be a positive united board member and will work to find solutions and outcomes which will benefit students’ education, keep and retain the best teachers and staff, listening to parents concerns, keeping taxes at the same rate, and ensuring we have the best superintendent and business manager and policies to ensure these goals are met.
LFP: What do you think is the most important budget issue facing the district right now, and how will you address it?
Bateman: The most important budget issue is adequate funding for personnel. Each of our schools needs the flexibility and support to hire the number of people they need to meet students’ needs. These roles vary from school to school. Our larger schools that enroll students year-round are often impacted the most. Two ways to address this are to lower initial class sizes and reserve additional money for schools who welcome new students throughout the year. This will also keep us moving in the right direction as we work to reduce class sizes.
Bird: One priority is the need to redirect available funding to focus in the classroom, pay teachers and support personnel properly and reduce class sizes.
This story was updated on 10/30/24 at 10:04 a.m.
