Vineyard, Lindon, And Others Can Attend Orem!

The answer to the Vineyard/Lindon question, “Will Lindon & Vineyard be able to join the Orem District next year?” - YES! But Prop 2 HAS to pass first!

Utah is a School Choice State with open enrollment policies. Orem schools have room and will welcome all students. The in-classroom funding follows the student. Vineyard and Lindon students who are currently attending Orem Schools, will be able to continue to attend Orem Schools. Utah is an Open Enrollment State – meaning by Law – “School Choice Law” – students may attend the school of their choice. Orem District will welcome those students to our schools.

Currently, Senator Keith Grover is crafting a bill that has broad support in the Legislature, and will become law by Spring. It will allow Lindon & Vineyard to join the Orem District next year--plus, there will be 2 years to make the transition before the Orem/Vineyard/Lindon District opens its doors. Families will feel no disruptions and funding will seamlessly follow.

ASD will welcome this agreement as busing all of Vineyard to Pleasant Grove for junior high and high school would not be cost effective and there would not be room. Both Alpine and Orem districts care about children and will work together to allow families to continue in their same schools, and transition smoothly to their new district..Currently, Alpine School District has shared services agreements with other school districts and can do the same with Orem. Jordan School District also shares services as well. It is a common practice in districts across the Nation.

On the other hand, what will Orem lose if we stay with the Alpine School District? There will continue to be a new school bond every 4 years, our taxes will continue to rise, and, if past experience is any indication, Orem will not receive monies from those bonds to rebuild each of our neighborhood schools, but our schools will be closed and consolidated and the land will be sold to build schools in other cities. In summary, Alpine School District will continue to close Orem Schools and sell Orem’s real estate.

What would closing and consolidating Orem schools look like? This has already happened to several Orem schools in the past and is likely to continue. Hillcrest and Scera Park were combined and the Hillcrest land was sold.  Geneva and Suncrest were combined and Geneva was torn down–ASD plans to rebuild on the Geneva property and sell the Parkside land. Polaris alternative high school was closed and the land was sold.  Kimberly Bird, ASD executive, said that Lindon Elementary was likely on the 2022 bond–solidified by the fact that ASD purchased a large parcel of land in Lindon for a school earlier this year.  Consider carefully what this would mean for students attending both Aspen Elementary and Northridge Elementary.   If Alpine School District builds a mega elementary school (designed for 1,000+ children) in Lindon, it will likely close and consolidate Aspen & Northridge Elementary into the Lindon school.  Only two Orem schools, Bonneville and Parkside Elementary, would then remain between State Street and I-15 and from Center Street to 2000 N. Both of these schools are Title I (low income) schools and are at full capacity. (Note: Parkside  is the old Suncrest building that now houses the consolidation of Suncrest and Geneva)  .  Geneva needs to be rebuilt immediately. 

An important reason for an Orem School District is so Orem money can stay in Orem and rebuild our neighborhood schools as soon as possible.  We have to be proactive, and work to stop the closing of schools in Orem.  We need to support these disadvantaged neighborhoods and families. 

After Prop 2 passes, Alpine School District has said they will work together with the Orem School District to facilitate a smooth transition and not disrupt students and families. ASD cares about kids and will do what's best for the kids. We trust they will do as they stated.

VOTE YES to Prop 2!

Senator Grover said: "In addition to looking into property taxes, one of the things this bill aims to do is make sure that schools are able to still take in students who may or may not live in the school boundaries."

"Through this bill, it clears up and clarifies the language that students who live where they do now can still attend Orem if the district parts ways."

“We do not want to have any type of distribution to their education. That should be very, very sequenced. This is mostly a bureaucratic, a moving of tax monies around, make sure that those schools are funded so those students continue to receive the good education they’re getting,” Grover said.

As of right now, the bulk of funding for education comes from state and federal funds. Those funds follow the student, not the district, and combined with Orem’s Property Taxes, an Orem School District will thrive. Orem District can enter into “Shared Services” agreements with ASD to educate the students from Vineyard and Lindon.

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