UTAH COUNTY — The Alpine School District board voted Tuesday to move forward with a study to possibly close five elementary schools eventually — two of which could close at the end of this school year.
About 35 parents with students in the district are filing a lawsuit to slow down the proposed closures. They tell FOX 13 News that they are upset with how rushed the process has felt, and they want the board to slow down.
On Tuesday night, the board voted to move forward with their ongoing study to possibly close Valley View Elementary in Pleasant Grove and Sharon Elementary in Orem by the end of this school year. They also voted to possibly extend the closure of Lehi, Lindon and Windsor elementary schools to the 2024-25 school year.
“I just feel so disheartened, frustrated and discouraged,” said Masha Hunsaker.
She’s not the only parent who feels this way.
“I feel like I almost would want an explanation as to why there’s such a rush," she added.
The school district on Wednesday reiterated these plans to FOX 13 News in a statement. Officials add that the final decision on some or all of these proposals could be made in the coming months. But the timeline of that decision is a concern for parents.
“It gives us a lot of anxiety to not know where we will be,” said Hunsaker.
Her three sons go to Valley View Elementary. It’s the school her husband, Chad, went to as well, and they live close enough for the boys to walk to school. She said by the time they get an official decision on the closure, it might be too close to the next year.
“It’s only just a few months away that the next school year starts. It’s not enough time for them to make a smooth transition into fixing these boundaries where right now they don’t even know where they will be,” she said.
On Tuesday, more than 50 parents spoke during three hours of public comment. Parents said they were told in December that because a bond on the ballot failed, the district would be looking into reevaluating schools. On February 28, they were told 5 schools were being studied to close at the end of this year.
Parents said their input wasn’t taken until that vote happened. So, they hope the lawsuit can slow the process down. Parents said the law gives the district 120 days to move through the process, but they still don't have clarity on when the clock started.
“Even if it would be the best thing to close these schools this year, they cannot do so because of how they have done the process,” said Alicia Alba, a parent involved with Rocky Mountain Elementary in Lindon. “They cannot move forward and still be in compliance with the law, so they need to restart and not close any schools this year.”
Parents said they feel blindsided by the announcement.
At Tuesday's meeting, board members said they are grateful for the public’s input in this process. The district said people submitted more than 1,450 comments through the online portal and numerous people spoke at board meetings and open houses.
“I want to assure you that what you say to us is being heard,” said Sara Hacken, board president of the Alpine School District. “We are reading, we are listening, we are noting, we are discussing, we are revising, we are here to hear you.”
But parents say they don’t feel heard.
“Last night, at the board meeting, after three hours of public comment, they had zero comments back to the public that was there,” said Crystal Muhlestein, a parent at Windsor Elementary. “We had no comments about what this might look like going forward, and went straight to a vote.”
People can still give feedback on the district boundary changes portal HERE or in person at board meetings.
