Those projections do not take into account inflation, Swim said. Nor do they include bonding for new schools or operational and startup costs.

Other issues include how a district split might affect teachers' salaries and benefits.

"It was the general feeling of the committee that the tax rates necessary to sustain the high growth in the Pioneer District, coupled with the lack of clarity in law creating for potentially difficult, if not contentious, employment issues, so burden the potential division that we could not in good faith recommend it to you at this time," Swim told the commission.

It will be up to the Utah County commissioners to decide whether to put the issue on the November ballot. All registered voters within Alpine School District boundaries would be eligible to vote on the proposal.

Aaron Evans, a Lehi resident who attended Tuesday's meeting, told the Deseret Morning News that creating a new district right now is a recipe for failure.

"With no schools, with no businesses and continued growth, it would make a dust bowl out of the west side of Utah County," Evans said. "I'm not saying it's not a good idea. In the future, perhaps. But today, no."

Despite the many unknowns and complications involved in forming a new district, it is necessary, Cox said.

"I still, after six years of studying this, believe that it is a good thing to do and that now is the time to do it because if our tax base ever gets favorable, which I believe it will in the not-too-distant future, the other side of the district will never let us leave," he said.

"I've done everything I can to promote this," Cox told the commission. "Now, it's up to the public. They will have to convince you that they support it. If there isn't very much support from the community, then it may not be worth putting it on the ballot."

Lorraine Carlton said the majority of her fellow Lehi residents are opposed to the formation of a new school district. During a Lehi Roundup Days breakfast last weekend, she helped collect 3,300 signatures on a petition against putting the school district split proposal on the ballot.

The committee's report is available at the County Commission office, the Alpine School District office, Lehi city offices and the Orem public library.

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E-mail: jeffc@desnews.com