Alpine School District preparing for western Utah County growth with property purchases

Alpine School District preparing for western Utah County growth with property purchases

(Scott G Winterton, KSL)


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SARATOGA SPRINGS — As the west side of Utah County continues growing at a rapid rate, Alpine School District officials are preparing to handle the influx of students.

The district gains about 1,200 students each year, according to David Stephenson, Administrator of Public Relations for Alpine School District. With four purchases of property over the last year that are possibly slated for new schools, it appears the district is ready for that growth.

“The growth out there is unprecedented,” Stephenson said. “It’s growing rapidly and we are doing the best we can to keep up with the growth and build schools where … families are building homes.”

At their meeting Tuesday, Alpine School District board members authorized the purchase of a 28-acre piece of land in Saratoga Springs that will cost just under $3.5 million.

In September, the board unanimously authorized purchases of two other properties — one in Eagle Mountain and another in Lehi, according to board documents. The 10-acre Eagle Mountain parcel sold for $1 million, and the 24-acre piece in Lehi cost about $7.3 million.

Another 10-acre Lehi property cost the board about $2.9 million in February.

It’s not clear yet exactly what those properties will be used for. But the district is in the midst of a bond project that will see several new schools built in the district, as well as rebuilds of current buildings and repairs at others.

Stephenson said the district will probably try to keep that momentum going after the current bond expires.

“We’re likely going to need to do another bond here in a couple of years to keep up with all the growth in Alpine School District,” he said.

The new Cedar Valley High School will open fall 2019 in Eagle Mountain.

Stephenson anticipates that school will help alleviate some of the overcrowding at Westlake High School in Saratoga Springs. Westlake currently has three large satellite classrooms, he said.

Next fall, a new elementary school will open in northwest Lehi and a new middle school is scheduled to open in Saratoga Springs.

“So in the same year out west we are opening a high school, a junior high school and an elementary school, which is quite a few schools all at once,” Stephenson said.

District officials work closely with city planners in all 14 municipalities within district boundaries to determine where to build new schools, Stephenson said. They project how many students they can expect to see in a certain area, and most projections end up within 1 percent accuracy, Stephenson said.

The rebuilds and renovations the district’s bond is funding include construction that addresses safety concerns at school buildings, Stephenson said. They’re adding cameras, more secure entrances and other security measures, as well as addressing the seismic safety of school facilities, he added.

The current bond passed with 68 percent support in 2016, according to Stephenson. He said district officials are grateful for the support.

“We appreciate our community members and our taxpayers who support us in providing safe environments for our students,” Stephenson said.

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