District FAQ's
This district reconfiguration is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us to build a thriving district tailored to meet our local needs and help our children thrive. I am very optimistic that we have the talent, passion, drive, and other resources we need to succeed. We currently bring in 34% of the property tax for ASD but have only 29% of the student population. In other words, our students have more property tax funding per capita than students in any other area. We can do this! We can keep what worked in Alpine School District while taking a fresh look at things to change what needs changing. There have been many questions about this process. I have spent hours pondering, researching, and brainstorming possible options that would benefit our children and teachers. I love data! I love diving in deep, thoroughly researching factors, seeking out the perspectives of others, and then coming up with creative solutions for addressing them. Below are some of my thoughts on commonly raised questions:
Will We Have a Deficit?
Our total school district budget is projected to be around 230 million dollars per year. At different points in the district split process, we have been projected to have anywhere from a 17 million dollar deficit to a 6 million dollar surplus. The biggest factors are 1) how high our student enrollment is and 2) what the tax rate is. If we can strengthen our schools and attract students back to public education, then we can build a financial surplus without raising taxes at all.
Despite claims to the contrary, the US census shows there were MORE children in Lindon, Orem, Vineyard, and Pleasant Grove in 2020 than in 2010. We are not in a population decline. Yes, families are having fewer children, but the number of families is increasing at a rate which more than offsets that decrease.
(This image is just one example which shows a projected surplus after tax increments were raised in August 2024, but before enrollment numbers declined in October 2024. We can attract families back to public education by offering quality opportunities in our schools including specialties in every school, special programs in every cluster, small class sizes, etc.)
What Are Our Most Pressing Capital Needs?
These can be broken down into two major categories: building new infrastructure and restoring aging facilities. For new infrastructure, our new district will potentially need a district office, transportation center, and special education school. We have existing properties in Lindon which could potentially fill these needs. We also have several recently closed elementary schools (Valley View, Sharon, etc) which could repurposed for this. And then there are seismic needs which need to be addressed by 2033. I would like to pursue federal grants to accomplish this. We could also use existing facilities to house student populations while facility needs are met. Finally, we may also have additional capital resources and needs dependent on how we choose to streamline our feeder systems.
What About School Feeder Systems?
I would love for our school feeder systems to be streamlined with the entire populations of 4-6 elementary schools all attending a single junior high and then continuing on to a single high school. I have spent hours analyzing the data and put together possible scenarios which would best meet the needs of our communities. It may end up looking something like the following. However, this is an EXAMPLE ONLY. Decisions like these MUST to be undertaken only with robust feedback from the impacted communities (especially the ones marked with "*" which are currently straddling several secondary school boundaries):
Grovecrest, Central, Mt. Mahogany, Manila, Lindon* -- Pleasant Grove Jr -- Pleasant Grove High
Northridge, Windsor, Bonneville, Rocky Mountain, Aspen* -- Oak Canyon Jr -- Timpanogos High
Centennial, Cascade, Foothill, Orchard* -- Canyon View Jr -- Orem High
Trailside, Vineyard, Westmore, Orem, Cherry Hill, Parkside* -- Lakeridge Jr -- Mountain View High
Will there be School Closures?
In 2023, I demonstrated my conviction that school closures should only ever happen with input and collaboration from the communities they impact. My priorities as a board member will be to preserve walkable neighborhood schools, to ensure that every student learns a safe and comfortable environment, and to address the 'school deserts' in our area. There will be some necessary boundary changes, and there may be some necessary school closures in our new district. These decisions will be up to our newly elected board. But I think there are other ways to address financial challenges besides closing schools. And I promise to always prioritize community input, smaller schools, and smaller class sizes as we make these decisions together. I don't believe a "Costco" mentality of educating our children in bulk should be our goal; instead a quality education for every child is what we should be striving for. I have good working relationships with legislators, city officials, and other leaders who can help us reach our potential.
