Breaking in a new board: Timpanogos School Board sworn-in, holds first meeting
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- Members of the Timpanogos School Board are sworn-in Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025, at Orem High School.
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- The Timpanogos School Board holds its first meeting Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025, at Orem High School.
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- Timpanogos School Board President Jennifer Lyman speaks at a meeting Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025, at Orem High School.
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- Timpanogos School Board Vice President Sterling Hilton speaks at a meeting Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025, at Orem High School.
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- Ada Wilson of the Timpanogos School Board speaks at a meeting Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025, at Orem High School.
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- The Timpanogos School Board member Guy Fugal signs a paper Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025, at Orem High School.
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- The Timpanogos School Board holds its first meeting Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025, at Orem High School.
Tuesday was a historic day inside Orem High School as board members of the new south district, derived from the three-part Alpine School District split, were sworn into their positions and held their first board meeting.
Much remains to be done before the temporarily named Timpanogos District’s official start on July 1, 2027, and the board took its first steps Tuesday.
Jennifer Lyman was unanimously elected board president, while Sterling Hilton was unanimously elected vice president. Two three-person committees were created to lead searches for a superintendent and to find a permanent district name.
“Alpine School District has been in existence for over 115 years, and to think that we are beginning something similar, it just makes us feel like this is a very momentous and historic occasion,” board member Michelle Sorensen said. “We are grateful for the support of our community, and we’re ready to dig in and get started to create something wonderful for our students.”
Residents in Lindon, Orem, Pleasant Grove and Vineyard did not choose to break away from the Alpine School District and start a new school district from scratch. In fact, a 2022 Orem proposition to separate from Alpine School District and start its own district was rejected by 71% of voters.
But after propositions in the north and west areas of the county to form two new districts both passed in 2024, the Timpanogos District was formed by default.
This year, seven new districts were created within the Timpanogos School District, and candidates were elected to represent each district.
Guy Fugal was elected to represent District 1, covering Pleasant Grove, while Lyman will represent District 2, covering Lindon and part of Pleasant Grove. David H. Smith will represent District 3, covering Vineyard and pockets of west Orem.
Ada Wilson was elected to represent District 4 in west Orem; Sorensen will represent District 5, encompassing north Orem; Grace Rex will represent District 6, covering east Orem and unincorporated Utah County in Provo Canyon; and Hilton will represent District 7 in south Orem.
The new board will be charged with navigating challenges the new district faces.
Lyman said that in the Alpine School District there are greater economies of scale for purchasing, and there is a balance between the high student populations out west and the declining populations — but higher property values and property tax revenue — in the south area.
In a consolidated district, she said, they will have to navigate running a school district with a shrinking population.
“That’s going to be one of the tricky things we’re going to have to do,” Lyman said.
Added Hilton: “We’ve got to make some decisions about how we navigate that circumstance. We’re open to really innovative ways to think about it, but that’s a reality we’ve got to face.”
At Tuesday’s board meeting, a handout from the interlocal coalition of Lindon, Orem, Pleasant Grove and Vineyard, formed to prepare the district this year, was passed around addressing the Timpanogos District’s budget outlook. It warned the new school board would face tough decisions to achieve a balanced budget.
“These may include adjusting school boundaries, shifting grade configurations, repurposing facilities, or exploring additional funding sources,” the coalition said.
However, the coalition expressed confidence in the budget outlook, noting that the district has 29% of the Alpine School District’s students but 35% of the tax base, which will create a “stable foundation for future funding,” while adding that the recent Alpine School District property tax increase will result in $8 million in new annual funds.
“The new school board will have the flexibility to reallocate a portion of the current tax levy, which includes significant funds for capital improvements, to meet pressing operational needs. This means a direct path to a balanced budget is within reach,” the coalition said.
During the board meeting, Sorensen and Rex both lauded the coalition’s efforts, and Rex said the finances they gathered showed “we can make this work really well for us.”
The school board stood as a united front Tuesday, identifying Lyman and Hilton as their leaders without any public disagreements.
Lyman, Hilton and Fugal will be tasked with finding a superintendent. The board also launched a survey where residents can weigh in on what they want the new district to be called.
“I think that we have a wonderful board that is going to work so well together to address all of the needs of our district, providing the best education for the students in our new area,” Lyman said. “We’re going to try to include the public as much as possible, be transparent and ask the public for input. We’re not doing this on an island. We’re not going to be the boss of everything. We want everybody’s input.”
