A measure to split the Alpine School District and a bond and leeway the district is pushing must be decided by Aug. 24 if voters are to have their say on the state's next election day.

Alpine school officials are scheduled to vote tonight on the $230 million bond proposal and a voted leeway, while a report that could fuel an effort to split Orem, Pleasant Grove and Lindon from the district is running late.

The district would use the $230 million to build and remodel schools. "We have a stewardship to administer Alpine School District as it currently exists, and we've got needs out there, and we've got to move forward," said superintendent Vernon Henshaw. "That's what we plan to do -- move forward."

Board president JoDee Sundberg said in July that the decision on the bond and leeway election was not tied to a feasibility study that Orem, Pleasant Grove and Lindon have commissioned on forming a new school district that would take a chunk out of Alpine's boundaries.

A vote to put the split on the November ballot was scheduled on Aug. 8, but after receiving a preliminary copy of the study, the city had more questions and rescheduled the vote for Aug. 22.

On Monday, Orem city manager Jim Reams said the study was nearly complete. City workers took over most of the work after consultant Mike Bennett took a job as a school principal. The city is focusing on financial issues, with Bennett consulting on educational issues, Reams said.

When the Orem City Council delayed its vote, Councilman Les Campbell said there might not be enough time to review the study. "This is a mega, mega multi-multi-million dollar decision that we're making, and it's going to affect tens of thousands of students, some of which haven't been born yet, so I want to be very, very careful and do the best I can to make the wisest decision possible," he said on Monday.

A council member for the past seven years, Campbell said the decision may be the biggest of his tenure. "I just think this is going to affect so many people in so many ways." Campbell said he has been sniffing around the Orem city offices for information but aside from the preliminary report, there's not much to go on.

A state legislative working group is looking at ways to smooth transitions when cities break out of larger districts, but many officials are scratching their heads about what would happen if both measures passed a public vote at the same time. The law that allows such splits is new. "I guess we're going to have to sit down and figure out what that means as far as the legal authority of bonding for this district," Henshaw said.

The district would still need money if the split were approved, Henshaw said, and might be able to sell all of the bonds except approximately $60 million earmarked for Orem schools. The toll that would take on the remaining residents of the Alpine School District will likely come out in the feasibility study, he said.

Anna Chang-Yen can be reached at 344-2549 or annac@heraldextra.com.

If you go

Alpine School District Board of Education meeting, 6 p.m. today, 575 N. 100 East, American Fork

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A1.