FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the Central School District?

The Central School District (CSD) is the temporary name for the area encompassing the potential new school district in Northern Utah County. If voters approve of the new school district, the future school board would select the final name.

Who is studying the potential creation of the Central School District?

Through an interlocal agreement, the cities of Alpine, American Fork, Cedar Hills, Draper, Highland, and Lehi studied the creation of a new school district to serve the students in their communities. For Draper City, the district would serve the portion of their residents living in Utah County. Check out the feasibility study findings here.

Why was the Central School District being studied?

At over 84,000 students, the Alpine School District (ASD) is the largest school district in Utah and is growing fast. The six cities in the proposed CSD boundaries have come together to provide an opportunity for their voters to decide whether to split from ASD.

Per state law, the cities are required to conduct a study to assess the feasibility of creating a potential new school district. The cities have hired an independent financial services firm, LRB Public Finance Advisors, to conduct the study. LRB’s team of experts presented their findings at a public meeting on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. The study results can be found HERE.

What was being studied?

The feasibility study assessed the fiscal impacts of a potential new school district, including start-up costs, capital facilities and staffing as well how those costs will impact taxpayers. It also took an in-depth look at student enrollment growth and revenue projections from federal, state and local sources. The objective study provides the public with the facts they need to make informed decisions.

Will I have a say in what gets decided?

Yes. Although the 12 public hearings have passed, members of the public can still submit comments about the proposed new school district online at bit.ly/CentralSchoolDistrictUT, on the CSD website centralschooldistrict.org/contact or by mailing their comments to their city offices.

What is the process to determine whether the CSD will be created?

On April 29, 2024 the city councils for Alpine, American Fork, Cedar Hills, Draper, Highland, and Lehi voted unanimously to enter into an interlocal agreement to study the potential creation of CSD. The study findings were presented to the cities at a joint public meeting on June 18. 

From June 19 through August 2, the cities gathered comments from the public by way of a series of public hearings and written submissions.

On Tuesday, August 6, 2024, the council members from each of the six cities unanimously voted to include the proposed CSD, listed as Prop #11, on the November 5, 2024 ballot.

Do I get to vote on the CSD?

Come November, all Utah County voters within Alpine, American Fork, Cedar Hills, Draper, Highland, and Lehi, will now see Prop #11 listed on their ballots.

Will my taxes increase if CSD gets created?

The feasibility study used budget, enrollment, and facilities needs data from Alpine School District and looked at current economic and growth conditions of the interlocal cities. According to the study, Alpine School District needs to raise taxes to meet the enrollment and facility needs of the district. If the CSD cities were to split away from ASD as a whole, the need to raise taxes right now would lessen because the CSD area has stable student growth, a healthy tax base, and relatively minor facility needs. The final fiscal impact would ultimately be decided based on the management decisions of the future school board and the economics, demographics, and facility needs at the time.

Who gets to make decisions about CSD?

If voters vote in favor of the creation of a new school district, the details regarding CSD’s creation will be determined by a newly elected school board. The school board would be elected by voters in an election in 2025.

When would the new school district start?

If voters vote in favor of the creation of a new school district, school board elections would take place in November 2025 and  school board members would take office in January of 2026.

The two school boards from ASD and CSD would then work to divide existing resources. In July 2027, the new CSD board would take on all responsibilities necessary for the new CSD including but not limited to budget, resource, and program development.