Statement
We support the Mayor and Orem City Council for asking hard questions that will be answered by the school district feasibility study. We ask Orem residents to be patient as this process unfolds, and not to play part in the spreading of misinformation. This transparent process will allow the residents of Orem to determine what is best for our children, our schools, and our financial future.
- Is the Alpine District or smaller Orem School District best for Orem’s children?
- Why do one in eight students within the Alpine School District (ASD) boundaries attend charter schools?
- Are Orem students and families getting the same value as students in other parts of Alpine School District, in curriculum, in opportunity, in monetary worth vs contribution?
- Are Orem schools physically safe for our children?
- Are smaller neighborhood elementary schools better than the current Alpine School District model of building 1,000 student schools with busing?
- How can Orem students prepare for the future when student test scores are falling behind?
- Do students have the support and services available to make learning fun, challenging, imaginative, and engaging, in environments that promote educational, social, emotional, and physical growth?
What size School District is Best?
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:
http://www.smallerschools.org/
Is a School District Split Inevitable?
Members of the ASD Board of Education have said that a split is inevitable — see the Lehi Free Press 9/21/21. If the split is inevitable, why is the ASD fighting so hard against the Orem feasibility study, even before its results are announced? Is the large ASD, or a proposed district split, better for Orem’s students relating to class size, computer specialists, secretaries, principals, teachers and staff? Would an Orem School District that has seven school board members, all from and focused on Orem’s students, serve Orem students better? Could Orem better utilize the funds (property taxes, federal, state and local funds, grants, etc.) to see better test score results in Orem schools, while addressing safety and seismic issues facing our aging schools more appropriately than ASD has?
Is a New Alpine School District Bond on the horizon?
According to press reports, Alpine School District wants to put a massive $595 million dollar bond on November 2022’s ballot — see Lehi Free Press article dated 5/11/2022. Will Orem taxpayers be required to pay a large portion of that bond, with most of the money being used to fund schools outside Orem? The answer is yes, Orem residents will be liable or responsible for 20.2%, or $120 million, of the bond for schools that other areas will enjoy. An ASD work meeting on May 10, 2022, revealed that taxpayers residing in the ASD boundaries will see a tax increase if the bond passes. The myth that your taxes will increase if Orem leaves ASD is false, while the opposite is true, staying will end up costing you more if this and future bonds occur.
Utah State Auditor Confirms the Orem Feasibility Study meets Orem’s Competitive Procurement Process
Some Orem residents complained about the Feasibility Study process. Were these Orem residents persuaded by the Alpine School District’s violation of its own Political Neutrality Policy–an attempt to influence Orem City’s rights under Utah law? The State Auditor confirms that the feasibility study procurement process was a “competitive and fair process”. See the link below to the official statement:
We reaffirm our statement to Orem residents: be patient as this process unfolds, do not play part in the spreading of misinformation. The State Auditor transparent process will allow the residents of Orem to determine what is best for our children, our schools, and our financial future.