Orem Proposition 2 supporters, opponents hold back-to-back rallies
-
- Demonstrators both in favor and opposed to Propositon 2 hold signs to get the attention of drivers at the intersection of Center Street and State Street in Orem on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022.
-
- Demonstrators supporting Proposition 2 hold signs to get the attention of drivers as they march toward the intersection of Center Street and State Street in Orem on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022.
-
- Timpanogos High School teacher Michael Nagro and Utah Valley University professor Kate McPherson holds signs in opposition to Proposition 2 at the intersection of Center Street and State Street in Orem on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022.
-
- Demonstrators supporting Proposition 2 hold signs to get the attention of drivers as they march toward the intersection of Center Street and State Street in Orem on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022.
-
- Timpanogos High School teacher Claire White, right, discusses Proposition 2 to Max Fishman as he walks through the intersection of Center Street and State Street in Orem on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022.
-
- Demonstrators supporting Proposition 2 hold signs to get the attention of drivers at the intersection of Center Street and State Street in Orem on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022.
-
- Demonstrators against Proposition 2 hold signs to get the attention of drivers at the intersection of Center Street and State Street in Orem on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022.
For two hours on Saturday, Orem’s busiest intersection was louder than usual.
From 10-11 a.m., groups of people opposed to Proposition 2, a ballot measure regarding the potential formation of an Orem City School District, lined street corners urging passersby to honk for support. From 11 a.m. until noon, supporters of the proposition followed suit from the same spots, lining Center Street and State Street in spite of the rain and wind.
The proposition, on the ballot for all Orem residents, seeks to split the city’s schools and students away from Alpine School District. The largest school district in the state, Alpine stretches north from Orem to the border of Utah County and across Utah Lake to include Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain.
The morning rallies were relatively drama-free — one early pro-split demonstrator hollered through a megaphone while standing next to a group of Timpanogos High School employees opposing the split. Several dozen people attended each rally, carrying with them “vote yes” and “vote no” signs while talking to any pedestrians or interested drivers waiting at red lights.
Standing on the corner in front of McDonald’s was Selina Llewellyn, a Timpanogos High School counselor, who came out in support of ASD’s efforts and work.
“They really do take care of their teachers. No district is going to be perfect and I understand when people go, ‘Oh we want to split,’ and I get that, but an Orem-only split is gonna be really detrimental. They’re not gonna have the funding,” she said.
Llewellyn and others referenced a list of services that DEC, the group that completed the feasibility study for the Orem City Council related to the split, suggested would be shared by Orem with neighboring school districts (ASD or Provo City School District). That list includes transportation, centralized special needs schooling, grounds maintenance, speciality classes, Title I programs and more.
Proponents of the split have also argued that teacher salaries would be higher in a new district. Those opposed cast doubt on the claim, while adding a fear that, even if base salaries were higher, insurance costs would increase at a rate equal to or greater than the raise.
It’s a combination of fears — lack of services for students and fewer experienced teachers — that Llewellyn worries would have a negative impact on students’ lives. Before becoming a counselor, Llewellyn taught in ASD for eight years.
“There’s so many teachers that want to stay with the Alpine district. An Orem-only school district would not be attracting veteran teachers and that’s an uncomfortable thought,” Llewellyn said. “If you’re attracting good teachers and you’re keeping good teachers then you’re benefiting your students. That’s the bottom line; if you don’t have good teachers, if you don’t have teachers that are willing to stay long enough to get the experience, you’re not going to end up with good teachers.”
All who came out against Proposition 2 did so ready to talk about their fears and worries ahead of Election Day. An oft-discussed point was a survey, done by political issues committee StrongerTogether in June, which said 91.5% of educators in ASD’s Orem schools were opposed to the split.
The survey gathered responses from 400 people, but as opponents stress, the survey was completed before the feasibility study was presented to the general public or even members of the Orem City Council.
Karen Adamson, a supporter of Proposition 2 and forming a new school district, expressed concern over the validity of the survey because of the timing.
Generally, though, Adamson is concerned about tax dollars from Orem residents being used elsewhere in the district.
“Alpine district is spreading super fast and what’s happening in Orem is not spreading. But those kids are not getting the attention they need because of the spread,” Adamson said. “We need something completely different than what the people on the other side of the district need.”
Adamson was referencing the Alpine School District bond, also on the November ballot, currently estimated at $595 million. The bond includes proposed construction of six new schools along with rebuilds and renovations with an emphasis on addressing seismic concerns.
In the bond, the only projects listed explicitly for Orem are multiuser facilities at Timpanogos and Orem high schools, both scheduled for 2025.
Of the six new schools, two have designated locations — a middle school in Eagle Mountain and a high school in Saratoga Springs — while other builds are planned for “high growth areas.”
The district is estimating an additional 4,900 students by 2030 — though almost none are expected to be in Orem. According to ASD data, 2027 enrollment in Mountain View High School would be slightly higher (fewer than 200 students) with drops of 300 and 400 expected at Orem and Timpanogos, respectively.
“It really is leaving Orem in a lurch. They are taking assets from Orem in order to afford assets on the other side of the lake,” Adamson said. “Our kids are not getting what they need.”
As voters open their mailboxes and collect their ballots, or head to the polls on Nov. 8, supporters on both sides of Proposition 2 agree on one thing. Adamson told the Daily Herald she hopes people “try to get information from both sides” and, ultimately, to trust their intuition.
“I want to make sure that people are aware that there are two sides to this. They can have resources, they can go look at it,” Llewellyn said. “Either way, we want them to get out and vote.”
