Three years from now, Utah’s largest school district will no longer exist. By then, the Alpine School District will have split into three — but there’s still much to be done before that can happen.
The split is certain after Utah County voters last month approved two ballot propositions to break away from Alpine.
Proposition 11 created a new “Central District,” encompassing the cities of American Fork, Cedar Hills, Draper, Alpine, Highland and Lehi. The measure passed with 57.61% of the vote.
The other, Proposition 14, formed a “West District,” covering Saratoga Springs, Eagle Mountain, Fairfield and Cedar Fort. More than 60% of voters supported it.
As a result, a third “South District” was automatically established, comprising Orem, Lindon, Pleasant Grove and Vineyard.
So, what’s next? Here’s what we know.
Teachers and school staff can keep their jobs and salaries
Once the new districts officially launch in July 2027, there won’t be many changes for teachers and other school staff, said Alpine School District spokesperson Rich Stowell.
“Anybody who works exclusively at a school, it’ll be relatively unchanged,” Stowell said. “They’ll just continue working at that school, and it’ll be for a different district.”
Under state law, school employees' “accrued seniority and benefits” will transfer to the new district. That includes their career status, any contracts with the former district and salary.
However, Alpine School District administrators, such as the superintendent or anyone who isn’t assigned to a school, aren’t promised the same job, Stowell said.
“There’s kind of two sides to it,” Stowell said. “[Administrators] have the right to a contract to do some work for a school district. And, so, that contract will be honored somewhere, in some manner, but they’re not guaranteed the same position or title.”
New school board elections will take place next year
In November 2025, voters in the new districts will elect school board members, who will officially take office in January 2026.
Once in office, they will begin hiring superintendents, dividing Alpine’s assets and liabilities and establishing new school boundaries.
The boards have until the following July to finalize district affairs and ensure they’re ready to provide educational services to students.
Some students will end up in different schools
As the boards establish new school boundaries, some students will be reassigned.
Specifically, students from the Saratoga Springs area — now part of the “West District” — who currently attend schools in the Lehi area — now in the “Central District” — may experience significant changes, Stowell said.
There are also some students living in areas of Pleasant Grove and attend American Fork High School who stand to be impacted, Stowell said.
The exact number of students who will be affected won’t be known until new boundaries are drawn.
State law guiding the district split process could change
It is likely that lawmakers will make revisions to the School District Creation and Change statute as a draft bill is already in the works.
The proposal primarily focuses on the legal process for placing a split proposal on the ballot, specifying who can initiate it and when. It also outlines provisions for the transition from a divided school district to new districts, including how assets and finances will be allocated.
One suggested change is creating “advisory committees” to assist in setting up the operations of the new districts.
Currently, the proposed legislation does not alter school employees’ rights to retain their status and salaries if they are transferred to a new district.
