Opposite Approaches to Reconfiguration

Two recent articles of note that demonstrate two different approaches to dividing the Alpine School District:

First, we have a hopeful, forward-thinking opinion piece by Skyler Beltran: Let us not allow fear to take over. “There is no good side or bad side to this issue,” he says. “There are always pros and cons to any decision of generational significance.”

“Change is hard. Each of us reacts to it differently, and coping skills vary widely. This decision will undoubtedly challenge both sides of the debate. If the split passes, there will be challenges to work through but there will also be opportunities that we haven’t had before. If the split fails, there will also be challenges and opportunities. I prefer to look at the vision of possibilities, the potential benefits that could arise from this change.” – Skyler Beltran

He brings up many of the valid concerns and challenges that reconfiguration presents, but encourages residents to “approach this question with open minds, empathy for differing perspectives, and a commitment to constructive dialogue.”

Alternatively, several elected officials on the East side, especially Pleasant Grove, seem to prefer sitting on the sidelines and hoping for a positive outcome. Instead, they could be studying the issue and informing voters, or even giving them an option on the ballot.

“Our city council isn’t considering an interlocal at this time” – Cyd Lemone, Pleasant Grove Council

According to the article, plenty of conversations are happening between city officials. But without an interlocal agreement, most residents on the East will remain uninformed and unable to vote on the issue.

Also see this recent article from KSL on the issue. It discussed the public meetings happening and noted that more people came to speak in favor of a split than opposed.

“At some point, it was obvious that we would get so large that we would need to split and the main reason for that is because of local control. The district has different areas of need,” former board member Wendy Hart said. “The west has outstanding growth and the south has a lot of needs with Title I and refurbishing of buildings.”