While a large district, spread out over many cities, may offer shared facilities such as gifted student programs, dual-language immersion, and career and technical training, it also means the focus of the district may be elsewhere, instead of education. It also gives an immense amount of financial means and decision-making to a District, which may or may not include the voice of parents in the process.  In the last few years, ASD has consolidated four Orem neighborhood schools into two larger schools.  The decision to do this was met with conflict from local families and students.  Their voices were not heard, and ASD moved forward with their plans and tore down two schools (Hillcrest & Geneva).  Instead of a neighborhood school that children can walk to, now the students are reliant on busing in order to travel the additional distance the consolidations created. ASD has suggested that it wants to consolidate two more Orem schools into one larger school. Will the ASD close more Orem neighborhood schools, and will ASD take into consideration the views of the local residents before those decisions are made?

A large district has far more power than the decision to eliminate schools in Orem.  We must also ask:  Does a large district help or hurt Orem’s Title I schools? Are specialty programs being taken away from Orem students? Are class sizes in Orem increasing? Are Orem students being treated fairly to the same educational opportunities as other students across the ASD?  Are the socioeconomic needs, language, and cultural dynamics of Orem’s students being met by the ASD?

If you want to know more about district and schools size issues click on the link below to read on: