Amidst a slew of education bills passed by the Utah Legislature this year, one directly addresses the Alpine School District split.

On Monday. Gov. Spencer Cox signed four new bills into law, including Senate Bill 188, or School District Modifications.

The legislation establishes procedures and directives related to the creation, transition and management of new school districts.

Residents in the majority of cities in northern Utah County voted in favor to split Alpine School District during the general election back in November.

By the fall of 2027, three new districts will be operational in the central, west and south regions of the present Alpine district.

Though residents in Orem, Lindon, Pleasant Grove and Vineyard were not presented with the question on their ballots regarding the matter as those city councils initially declined to form an interlocal agreement, those four municipalities are also creating their own district as a result of the vote.

Sen. Keith Grover, R-Provo, who was the chief sponsor for the bill, proposed the legislation to the Interim Education Committee just weeks after the November election and ahead of the 2025 legislative session.

Grover said several revisions or substitutions of the bill were made after speaking with Utah County leaders, lawmakers and stakeholders to gain insight on varying concerns, interests and perspectives of each area.

“You know, politics is the art of the impossible,” he said in a phone call Wednesday with the Daily Herald. “And so we had to eliminate some things that weren’t going to work and then bring in new things.”

Grover acknowledges not everyone will agree with the final version of the bill that ultimately passed and garnered the governor’s signature.

The bill highlights numerous provisions regarding the election of school board members for the new district, the duties of the Office of the Legislative Auditor General during the split, the reduction of the threshold of votes needed for future school district creations, and requirements for reorganized districts to manage.

It also aims to protect the salaries and benefits for teachers and other Alpine School District employees.

Eligible employees will maintain their compensation through the first year under the reorganized school districts (2027-2028 school year).

Any employee salary adjustments or negotiations imposed by the elected school board members of each of the districts will take effect the following school year.

The School District Modifications bill also clarifies the division of assets and liabilities, ensures buildings remain within their geographic districts and provides transition funding mechanisms.

Rep. Stephanie Gricius, R-Eagle Mountain, who was the bill’s House sponsor, described the legislation as a way to make the separation of the districts a bit cleaner.

The bill also creates a clear pathway for the districts to access funds for the building of new schools or address other costly needs through bonds.

In Saratoga Springs, efforts to fund and build a new high school have faced obstacles and would have likely been delayed further until new school board members take office.

“The West (District) actually has elementary schools with more students than Orem High School,” Gricus said during a legislative wrap-up panel at Utah Valley University on Tuesday. “So, kind of trying to balance those assets and get all of that figured out with all of the stakeholders at the table.”

The subsequent debt associated with that bond would also follow the new respective district.

Grover said the hope is that the legislation can aid in reducing some of the divisiveness surrounding the Alpine School District and others that may follow in the future.

“So now this gives some clarity to how districts go out for bonds, who does what (in the transitional process of) the naming of school districts, how to work on (dividing) assets, all those things makes it a little more black and white and a little less personal,” Grover said.

A full text of the bill can be found on the Utah State Legislature’s website.