Education
ASD praised for efficiency; state audit identifies areas for improvement
Rob Shelton | Lehi Free Press
A state legislative audit of Alpine School District has identified 13 specific areas for improvement while acknowledging the district’s efficient administrative operations and strong overall academic performance.
The audit, completed by the Office of the Legislative Auditor General, makes targeted recommendations to address bullying policies, achievement gaps, and strategic plan awareness as the district prepares to split into three entities by 2027.
“We agree with the recommendations presented by the audit team and commit to implementing them,” said Superintendent Shane Farnsworth in the district’s formal response to the findings.
Among the most pressing issues identified is the district’s bullying management policy, which auditors found does not fully comply with Utah code requirements. The report states that ASD’s current policy “is difficult to follow because it is broken into separate sections for employees and students” and lacks mandated components, including a defined action plan and parental notification process.
“While our current practice and procedures are in compliance with the most recent legislation, we recognize that our district policy needs to be adjusted to reflect our current practice,” said Kraig Brinkerhoff, ASD’s Executive Director of Legal Services. The district has committed to updating its policy before the 2025-26 school year begins.
The audit also revealed a significant disconnect between administrators and teachers regarding awareness of the district’s strategic plan. While 96% of school administrators reported being aware of the plan, only 57% of school staff indicated such knowledge. Similarly, 91% of administrators believed the plan guides school decisions, compared to just 72% of staff.
Dr. Joel Perkins, ASD Chief of Staff, acknowledged this gap: “We will work with our principals to utilize great clarity and intentionality with their teacher teams. These efforts will lead to greater communication and understanding of the strategic plan by classroom teachers.”
Achievement gaps between student demographic groups emerged as another critical area for improvement. The audit documented disparities as high as 40 percentage points between racial minority and non-minority students at some schools. The district has pledged to expand its existing Multilingual Learners Task Force and restructure its special education department to address these inequities.
Despite areas needing improvement, the audit highlighted the district’s fiscal efficiency, noting Alpine maintains “one of the lowest per-pupil administrative costs in the state at $125.” The district’s superintendent salary of $259,000 ranked seventh highest in Utah, below peer districts of similar size.
The audit praised the district’s implementation of professional learning communities (PLCs) and identified opportunities to spread successful teaching methods throughout the district. A key recommendation urges ASD to identify high-performing teachers and implement their best practices in classrooms with lower achievement.
“We place great value on our high-performing teachers and appreciate their influence in training their peers,” said Farnsworth. “We will continue to celebrate our high-performing teachers and facilitate more professional development opportunities for these teachers to share best practices with their colleagues.”
Other recommendations included improving school security through better fencing at elementary schools bordering public parks and increasing school zone signage at the Summit and Polaris High School campus, where administrators reported concerning incidents involving non-students.
Alpine School District, which serves approximately 85,000 students across 89 schools, will be formally split into three separate districts following the November 2024 election results. The official transition will be completed by July 2027.
