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AMERICAN FORK, Utah (AP) -- Splitting the Alpine School District could result in residents within the Lehi High School boundary seeing their school property taxes nearly double by 2010, A Brigham Young University study concluded.
Residents in the rest of the district would see their taxes decrease.
Results of the feasibility study conducted by graduate students from BYU's Marriott School of Management were presented to a committee that is studying the possible split.
The proposed new district would include Lehi, Eagle Mountain, Saratoga Springs and some unincorporated areas of Cedar Valley. More than 1,200 people in those areas signed a petition to create the new district.
The committee will make a recommendation to the Utah County Commission on June 29. Commissioners will decide if the issue will appear on the ballot in November.
"I'm afraid this portrayal says it's totally out of the question and not financially viable when there are other things that could make a huge difference in the bottom line," said Rep. Dave Cox, R-Lehi, a committee member, school teacher and the sponsor of the law that allows for district splitting.
He said that depending on teacher contracts, interest rates and legislation, Lehi's burden to provide for its students may be minimal when compared to the benefits of a smaller district.
The study said the new district could be successful with the right combination of local control and leadership. Also, it could become a pilot district and eligible for extra federal funding.
However, the study said residents of the new district, which would be called the Pioneer School District, would see tax increases up to 89.5 percent, while taxes for residents of the remaining Alpine School District would steadily decrease by 16 percent by 2010.
The study said the value of a home in the Pioneer district averages $128,000, and there is little commercial development in the area. Values in the rest of the Alpine district average $163,900, and the area has most of the commercial development in the current district.
Also, the enrollment in the Pioneer district is projected to grow faster than the rest of the Alpine School District.
(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
