A survey of Cedar Hills residents showed they are frustrated with Investigations Math.

In an annual survey the city commissions, 50 percent of respondents said they did not support the Investigations Math program adopted by the district in 2000. Seventeen percent said they supported the program, while the remaining respondents did not answer the question.

The survey of 400 residents was conducted in person, and while a previous question asked if they were familiar with the math program, those who were not could still have answered the question about their support for Investigations. The margin of error was 5 percent.

City Councilman Joel Wright, the son of BYU math professor David Wright, who has openly opposed Investigations, said he was interested to see residents' response to the question because of the possibility of the city joining with others to secede from the district. He compared the district's years-long steadfastness on the math program to the Iraq war.

"They've lost a lot of credibility," he said. "I hate to say it, but it's almost like President Bush and Iraq. Why do they keep denying realityfi They've used up all their goodwill and so much political capital fighting for Investigations Math when there are so many other issues that are important."

City manager Konrad Hildebrandt said the council will likely not take any action based on the results. "It doesn't have anything to do with our city services. It was just more of, 'We're interested -- the City Council is interested -- globally in our residents. City Council members are moms and dads, and that was something on their minds."

The city will pass the information on to the Alpine School District, Hildebrandt said. The district is allowing each school to form a committee made up of parents and educators to pick its own math curriculum.

Earlier this year when Orem was considering withdrawing from the district, the Cedar Hills council met and decided if it was to secede, it would have to do so with the cooperation of American Fork, Alpine and Highland. "One of the primary reasons is clearly Investigations Math," Wright said.

Wright said he is suspicious of the district's process of allowing school committees to select their own math programs. "The principal kind of picks the committee members and can shepherd them along, and I think the committee will probably reach the conclusion the district and the principal want them to reach. It's better than nothing, but I think part of the problem is the most driven parents have been basically driven out of Alpine School District into charter schools, which is happening at a rapid rate and which I think is sad."

District spokeswoman Jerrilyn Mortensen said it's probably too early to use the survey information. "While we're always interested in the information, I'm not sure what kind of impact it will have because it will be April or May before the committee itself will be selecting its math program."

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

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page B1.