Education
Utah County announces redistricting committees for new school board member boundaries
Utah County Commissioner Skyler Beltran announced the names of the Utah County Alpine School Redistricting Committees in a statement released Friday.
The county asked for applications from members of the public who wished to participate in the three redistricting committees earlier this month. The committees have an advisory role, which is not required by state law. The Utah County Commission will have final approval on the maps.
“We received 217 applications for only six spots. It was great to see so many community members interested in being involved,” said Beltran in an interview Monday.
Below are the appointees for each of the three committees:
West District Committee
• Chair: Mac Sims
• Member of the Utah County Clerk’s Office: Kris Swenson
• Member of the Alpine School District Board: Julie King
• Member of the Interlocal Agreement: Saratoga Springs Councilman Chris Carn
• Member of the Interlocal Agreement: Eagle Mountain Councilwoman Melissa Clark
• Member of the Public: Colby Curtis
• Member of the Public: Shiree Dome
Central District Committee
• Chair: Mac Sims
• Member of the Utah County Clerk’s Office: Kris Swenson
• Member of the Alpine School District Board: Stacy Bateman
• Member of the Interlocal Agreement: Lehi Councilwoman Heather Newall
• Member of the Interlocal Agreement: Cedar Hills Councilwoman Kelly Smith
• Member of the Public: Nicki Brammer
• Member of the Public: Justin Jones
South District Committee
• Chair: Mac Sims
• Member of the Utah County Clerk’s Office: Kris Swenson
• Member of the Alpine School District Board: Mark Clement
• Member of the Interlocal Agreement: Orem Councilwoman Jenn Gale
• Member of the Interlocal Agreement: Lindon Councilman Cole Hooley
• Member of the Public: Tamara Oborn
• Member of the Public: Isaac Hipple
Mac Sims, a software engineer from Lehi, will lead all three committees, along with Kris Swenson from the Utah County Clerk’s Office.
“Mac was chosen because he is highly competent, knowledgeable, and experienced in the task at hand. We trust him to fulfill our objective, which is to propose three district board configurations that meet state requirements and prioritize representation for our communities,” said Beltran.
“Ezra Nair, our Utah County Administrator, selected the public members from many applicants after considering their professional expertise and community involvement,” continued Beltran.
The City Council members on the committees were submitted by each respective interlocal agreement to represent the cities’ interests in the process.
“The [district] split has been an emotional process for so many, and any time there is decision-making, there is sure to be criticism, but everyone involved is working toward the same goal: to create the best outcome for our students and their families,” concluded Beltran.
The committees will begin collaborating at the end of January and present their work at an early March Utah County Commission meeting. Then the Utah County Clerk and County Commission Offices will review the proposals before final adoption by April 1.
