Alpine School District

Last updated

Alpine School District
Alpine School District Logo.png
Alpine School District office building, American Fork, Utah, Jun 16.jpg
Alpine School District Education Center (headquarters)
Location
575 North 100 East
American Fork, Utah
United States
Coordinates 40°23′18″N111°47′47″W / 40.3884°N 111.7963°W / 40.3884; -111.7963
District information
Established1915 (1915)
SuperintendentShane Farnsworth
Other information
Website alpineschools.org

Alpine School District is the primary school district in northern Utah County, Utah, United States

Contents

The district covers Alpine, American Fork, Cedar Fort, Cedar Hills, Eagle Mountain, Fairfield, Highland, Lehi, Lindon, Orem, Pleasant Grove, Saratoga Springs, and Vineyard (as well as the portion of Draper that is located within Utah County).

The district includes all grades from kindergarten through high school (K-12). As of 2018, there were 58 elementary schools, 12 junior high schools, 11 high schools, and 9 special purpose schools [1] serving approximately 78,659 students, [2] making it the largest school district in Utah.

Structure

The district is governed by a board of education which consists of a seven-member group of citizens elected to four-year terms. [3] The day-to-day operations of the district are managed by a superintendent. As of 2021, the district superintendent is Shane Farnsworth.

As of 2018, the district has ten large high schools, and only seven school board members, leading some parents and students to express concerns over inadequate representation on the school board. [4] Some parents would like to see the district split into two or three new school districts, allowing more direct control over their local schools. As of 2018, a member of the Alpine School Board represents more people than a member of the state legislature in the house. [4]

The district offices are located in American Fork. [5] The district boundary includes: American Fork, Alpine, Cedar Fort, Cedar Hills, Eagle Mountain, Fairfield, Highland, Lehi, Lindon, Orem, Pleasant Grove, Saratoga Springs, Sundance, and Vineyard. It also includes portions of Provo and the Utah County portions of Bluffdale and Draper. [6]

List of schools

Elementary schools

  • Alpine (Alpine)
  • Aspen (Orem)
  • Barratt (American Fork)
  • Belmont (Lehi)
  • Black Ridge (Eagle Mountain)
  • Bonneville (Orem)
  • Brookhaven (Eagle Mountain)
  • Cascade (Orem)
  • Cedar Ridge (Cedar Hills)
  • Cedar Valley (Cedar Fort)
  • Centennial (Orem)
  • Central (Pleasant Grove)
  • Cherry Hill (Orem)
  • Deerfield (Cedar Hills)
  • Desert Sky (Eagle Mountain)
  • Dry Creek (Lehi)
  • Eagle Valley (Eagle Mountain)
  • Eaglecrest (Lehi)
  • Foothill (Orem)
  • Forbes (American Fork)
  • Fox Hollow (Lehi)
  • Freedom (Highland)
  • Geneva (Orem)
  • Greenwood (American Fork)
  • Grovecrest (Pleasant Grove)
  • Harbor Point (Saratoga Springs)
  • Harvest (Saratoga Springs)
  • Hidden Hollow (Eagle Mountain)
  • Highland (Highland)
  • Legacy (American Fork)
  • Lehi (Lehi)
  • Liberty Hills (Lehi)
  • Lindon (Lindon)
  • Manila (Pleasant Grove)
  • Meadow (Lehi)
  • Mount Mahogany (Pleasant Grove)
  • Mountain Trails (Eagle Mountain)
  • North Point (Lehi)
  • Northridge (Orem)
  • Orchard (Orem)
  • Orem (Orem)
  • Pony Express (Eagle Mountain)
  • Ridgeline (Highland)
  • Riverview (Saratoga Springs)
  • River Rock (Lehi)
  • Rocky Mountain (Lindon)
  • Sage Hills (Saratoga Springs)
  • Saratoga Shores (Saratoga Springs)
  • Sego Lily (Lehi)
  • Sharon (Orem)
  • Shelley (American Fork)
  • Snow Springs (Lehi)
  • Springside (Saratoga Springs)
  • Suncrest (Orem)
  • Thunder Ridge (Saratoga Springs)
  • Traverse Mountain (Lehi)
  • Valley View (Pleasant Grove)
  • Vineyard (Vineyard)
  • Westfield (Alpine)
  • Westmore (Orem)
  • Windsor (Orem)

Junior high/middle schools

  • American Fork Junior High (American Fork)
  • Canyon View Junior High (Orem)
  • Frontier Middle School (Eagle Mountain)
  • Lake Mountain Middle School(Saratoga Springs)
  • Lakeridge Junior High School (Orem)
  • Lehi Junior High School (Lehi)
  • Mountain Ridge Junior High School (Highland)
  • Oak Canyon Junior High (Lindon)
  • Orem Junior High (Orem)
  • Pleasant Grove Junior High (Pleasant Grove)
  • Timberline Middle School (Alpine)
  • Vista Heights Middle School (Saratoga Springs)
  • Willowcreek Middle School (Lehi)

High schools

Alternative schools

History

The district was created in 1915 with 92 teachers, 4,906 students, 21 grade schools, and four high schools: Lehi High School, American Fork High School, Pleasant Grove High School (Utah), and Spencer (Orem). [7]

Its name and original boundaries were taken from the Alpine Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. [8]

2023 book controversy

In the summer of 2022, Alpine School District made headlines after removing 52 books by 41 authors from school libraries, 42% of which "feature LBGTQ+ characters and or themes." [9] [10] Another 32 books will be subjected for cover-to-cover review by autumn to determine if the books will remain available to students. [10] [11]

A total of 275 books were initially selected for review following the implementation of a new law, H.B. 374, "Sensitive Materials In Schools", but the majority of the books were found to have no objectionable content. [10] All 275 books had previously received parental complaints and urging from Utah Parents United saying the titles "are inappropriate for children." [11] Following guidance from the Office of the Attorney General, "an internal library audit determined that [the questioned books] contain 'sensitive material' ... and 'do not have literary merit.'" [10] In addition to removing the books from school libraries, Utah Parents United curriculum director Brooke Stephens "also filed a police report ... to report a list of 47 books" she claimed to contain pornographic material. [11]

Alpine School District spokesperson David Stephenson indicated that the books have been temporarily "placed away from students (who are currently out for summer break) until Alpine can conduct a 'review of content.'" [11] Critics of the policy claim "it is a violation to remove the books before [the internal review of content]." [11] Utah Parents United and other supporters have applauded the books' removal and have characterized the questioned material as pornographic. [11]

According to the Utah Library Association (ULA), however, "removal of these...books does not seem to be in accordance with the law" and some of the questioned books were found in other cases to have literary merit. [12] Critics also characterized the review as hasty, [13] question if proper policies were followed, [10] and claim the questioned books may be helpful or enlightening to some students. [11]

2023 Sexual Assault Compliance Review

In September 2023, the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights sent a 21-page letter to the superintendent of Alpine School District. This letter detailed the district's failing results of a compliance review that took place from 2017 to 2020. The report found eight violations of Title IX and three concerns related to compliance with Title IX. This letter used five employee-to-student sexual harassments and assaults and more than 100 student-to-student harassment incidents, of which eighty-eight were sexual assault, over the review period of 2017-2020 to illustrate the district's failings. In many of these instances, the district failed to report the issue or investigate it properly, according to Title IX. In multiple cases, the offending teachers were allowed to retire to resign quietly with no notes made on the teacher's license. Alpine School District has until January 2024 to make the required changes from the report. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Utah County, Utah</span> County in Utah, United States

Utah County is the second-most populous county in the U.S. state of Utah. The county seat and largest city is Provo, which is the state's fourth-largest city, and the largest outside of Salt Lake County. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 665,665.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eagle Mountain, Utah</span> City in Utah, United States

Eagle Mountain is a city in Utah County, Utah. It is part of the Provo–Orem metropolitan area. The city is located to the west as well as north of the Lake Mountains, which are west of Utah Lake. It was incorporated on 3 December 1996 and had been rapidly growing. The population was 43,623 at the 2020 census. Although Eagle Mountain was a town in 2000, it has since been classified as a third-class city by state law on Sept. 4th 2001. In its short history, the city has quickly become known for its rapid growth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lehi, Utah</span> City in Utah, United States

Lehi is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is named after Lehi, a prophet in the Book of Mormon. The population was 75,907 at the 2020 census, up from 47,407 in 2010. The rapid growth in Lehi is due, in part, to the rapid development of the tech industry region known as Silicon Slopes. The center of population of Utah is located in Lehi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lindon, Utah</span> City in Utah, United States

Lindon is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 10,070 at the 2010 census. In July 2019 it was estimated to be to 11,100 by the US Census Bureau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nebo School District</span> Public school district in southern Utah County, Utah, United States

Nebo School District is a public school district that serves the southern part of Utah County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Utah Valley</span>

Utah Valley is a valley in North Central Utah located in Utah County, and is considered part of the Wasatch Front. It contains the cities of Provo, Orem, and their suburbs, including Alpine, American Fork, Cedar Hills, Elk Ridge, Highland, Lehi, Lindon, Mapleton, Payson, Pleasant Grove, Salem, Santaquin, Saratoga Springs, Spanish Fork, Springville, Vineyard and Woodland Hills. It is known colloquially as "Happy Valley".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lehi High School</span> Free public school in the United States

Lehi High School is a public high school in Lehi, Utah. The school mascot is the Pioneer, specifically Pioneer Pete, in honor of the city being founded in 1850 by a group of Mormon pioneers. The school has progressed from 3A to 5A in the last five years due to recent growth in nearby Saratoga Springs, Lehi, and Eagle Mountain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mountain View High School (Utah)</span> Public school in Orem, UT

Mountain View High School (MVHS) is located in Orem, Utah, United States. It is part of Utah County's Alpine School District. The school first opened its doors to the graduating class of 1980–81. Every year students from Orem Junior High and Lakeridge Junior High enter MVHS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 15 in Utah</span> Section of Interstate highway in Utah, United States

Interstate 15 (I-15) runs north–south in the U.S. state of Utah through the southwestern and central portions of the state, passing through most of the state's population centers, including St. George and those comprising the Wasatch Front: Provo–Orem, Salt Lake City, and Ogden–Clearfield. It is Utah's primary and only north–south interstate highway, as the vast majority of the state's population lives along its corridor; the Logan metropolitan area is the state's only Metropolitan Statistical Area through which I-15 does not pass. In 1998, the Utah State Legislature designated Utah's entire portion of the road as the Veterans Memorial Highway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Provo–Orem metropolitan area</span> Metropolitan region in Utah, United States

The Provo–Orem, UT Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget, is an area consisting of two counties in Utah, anchored by the cities of Provo and Orem. As of the 2020 census, the MSA had a population of 671,185.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Utah State Route 92</span> State highway in Utah, United States

State Route 92 (SR-92), also known in various portions as the Timpanogos Highway, and Alpine Loop Scenic Highway is a scenic state highway in Utah County, Utah that runs from I-15/US-89 in Lehi to US-189 in Provo Canyon. The route is 27.296 miles (43.929 km) long and is the only road with access to Sundance Ski Resort and the Aspen Grove Family Camp and Conference Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Utah State Route 129</span>

State Route 129 (SR-129) is a state highway in northern Utah County, Utah, United States. The route spans (mostly) north-south for 7.27 miles (11.70 km) to connect U.S. Route 89 (US-89) on the Lindon-Pleasant Grove line with SR-92 in Highland. The majority of the route runs along North County Boulevard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah</span> LDS Church and its members in Utah

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Utah. Utah has more church members than any other U.S. state or country. The LDS Church is also the largest denomination in Utah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Timpanogos Transit Center</span> Bus transfer center in Orem, Utah, U.S.

The Mount Timpanogos Transit Center was a staffed, open air bus transfer station in southeast Orem, Utah, United States. It functioned as both the Utah Transit Authority's (UTA) customer service center for Utah County, as well as a bus transfer center for UTA's buses in east central Utah Valley. Prior to the opening of the FrontRunner commuter rail extension south to Provo in 2012), it was the busiest bus stop within the entire UTA bus system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Utah's 3rd congressional district special election</span> Election following resignation of Jason Chaffetz

After previously stating that he would not run for re-election, Jason Chaffetz announced on May 19 that he was resigning his seat in the House, effective June 30. A special election was called to replace him with a filing period opening on May 19 and closing by June 30, an expected primary date of August 15, and an election day of November 7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murdock Canal</span>

The Murdock Canal, also known as the Provo Reservoir Canal and the Provo River Aqueduct, is a 23 mile water conveyance system that diverts water from the Provo River and other water storage systems to water users in Utah County. The canal starts at the Murdock Diversion Dam which is located at the mouth of Provo Canyon in Provo, Utah. The canal runs completely underground through Utah Valley and ends at the Jordan Aqueduct in Lehi, Utah. It carries water through the cities of Orem, Lindon, Pleasant Grove, Cedar Hills, American Fork, Highland, and Lehi. The canal is the largest of three primary water conveyance systems in Salt Lake Valley, the other systems being the Jordan Aqueduct and the Salt Lake Aqueduct. The water capacity of the Murdock Canal more than doubles that of either the Jordan Aqueduct or Salt Lake Aqueduct at 612 cfs.

References

  1. "District Schools" . Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  2. "Enrollment History and Projection". November 15, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  3. Alpine School District - School Board
  4. 1 2 Dodson, Braley. "Too big? What an Alpine School District split could be like". Daily Herald. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  5. "Home". Alpine School District. Retrieved October 17, 2022. 575 N 100 E, American Fork, Utah 84003
  6. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Utah Lake County, UT" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. p. 2-3 (PDF p. 3-4/7). Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  7. "ASD History". alpineschools.org. Alpine School District. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  8. Plewe, Brandon S. (2014). Mapping Mormonism: an atlas of Mormon history (2nd ed.). Provo, Utah: BYU Press. p. 128. ISBN   978-0-8425-2879-5.
  9. "School District Removes 52 Books From Libraries". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ban on 52 Books in Largest Utah School District is a Worrisome Escalation of Censorship". PEN America. August 1, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Tanner, Courtney (August 2, 2022). "Utah school district pulls 52 books after concerns and flagged another 32 for later review". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  12. Mullahy, Brian (July 28, 2022). "Alpine School District pulls dozens of books from school library shelves". KUTV. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  13. "What Is "Soft" Censorship? When School Districts Don't Ban Books, They Still Limit Student Access". Them. August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  14. Romine, J. Aaron (September 20, 2023). "Alpine School District" (PDF). Retrieved September 22, 2023.