As students are more than halfway through their summer vacation from the classrooms, discussions regarding their educational future remain a hot topic throughout Utah County cities in the Alpine School District.

Ten of the municipalities are exploring the viability of leaving ASD and forming their own districts via interlocal agreements.

One proposed district, currently referred to as the “Central School District,” encompasses the cities of Lehi, American Fork, Highland, Alpine and Cedar Hills and a portion of Draper.

During Tuesday’s city council meeting, Lehi held its first of two required public hearing meetings on the matter.

Out of about a dozen people who gave their 3-minute take on the issue, the majority spoke in support of putting the question on the November ballot, though there were varying perspectives and concerns brought up.

Lehi resident Katrina Cummins said she is in favor of the split. She said she feels school board members are overwhelmed with being tasked to represent such a large student population due to the size of the district.

“I’ve had multiple people say, you should run for school board, and I’ve looked at our district and said there is no way that I could do that much work and represent that many different schools,” Cummins told the council.

She also noted the district-wide bond failure in 2022; the $595 million bond would have allocated funds for several projects throughout ASD. Cummins said she believes the split is needed for future proposed bonds to pass.

“I think if we stay [together as one] school district, we’ll see more of these bonds failing and disconnect from different areas not getting what they need,” Cummins said.

Briawna Hugh, a teacher in the district, said she is on the fence regarding the split.

“This is going to hurt some of the students in the district if we split it,” Hugh said. “It will negatively impact some of the taxpayers, actually, all of the taxpayers, because no matter what, we’re going to have to increase taxes.”

While Hugh said she’s torn on putting the split on the ballot, the option seems to be the viable solution.

A running concern during Tuesday’s hearing was what a split would mean for programs for at-risk students and those in special education.

“I just don’t want those kids to get lost in the cracks,” said Aubrey Sorenson, a Lehi resident who works with students in alternative education.

The program in question is East Shore, which is run by the Alpine School District and located in American Fork. Sorensen fears how a split could impact the program.

“We have a daughter who wouldn’t have graduated high school without the opportunity to take some of those East Shore curriculum packets,” Sorenson said. “And I personally helped many students that wouldn’t have graduated without those opportunities with the Shore curriculum too.”

Molly Barrington of Lehi took to the podium with her 10-year-old son, who is in the special education program at Highland Elementary School.

“I’m working with Representative [Brady] Brammer on making sure when it comes to special education, we don’t want more, we want equal [resources],” Barrington told the Daily Herald. “You know, we want our kids to receive the same opportunities and be given the same protections that all of the other kids in the school district, in the state, are given.”

Barrington shared somewhat of an emotional statement before the council, expressing strong support for an interlocal agreement.

“I want to thank you guys so much … for putting our children first, because they’re the ones that were doing this for,” Barrington told the Lehi City Council.

She is also working on a grassroots effort to make sure citizens know all of the facts regarding the split before going to the polls in the fall if the option makes the ballot.

“Because if you don’t know what the issues are and how the finances are going to shake out or how they’re guessing they’re going to shake out, it’s really hard to make an informed decision,” she told the council.

Residents will have more chances to voice their opinions and concerns; Lehi will hold another public hearing on July 23.

Other cities in the proposed Central district are to also hold at least one more hearing before the end of July.

A decision on whether or not to put the question on the ballot this fall could be made around Aug. 6.

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