Orem residents mixed on split from Alpine District

AMERICAN FORK — The first scientific poll of Orem residents on their feelings about splitting from Alpine School District showed mixed results.

Thirty-eight percent of Orem residents want to create a city district; 44 percent want to remain in Alpine district; and 18 percent haven't made up their minds, according to a poll conducted for the district by Insight Research.

The district released the poll results Monday.

Insight Research conducted a telephone survey of 602 people who live within the school district's boundaries from May 19-26. A third of the respondents were Orem residents. The margin of error for the poll is plus or minus .04 percent.

All respondents were asked about Orem splitting off: Forty-two percent supported the plan, 39 percent opposed it, and 19 percent said they were undecided.

Orem residents were asked a separate question — which included a reminder that the district is considering using money from a proposed bond that will go before voters in November to rebuild Orem High School, add a new gymnasium at Mountain View High, and renovate Lakeridge and Orem junior highs — which resulted in a higher number of city residents indicating they favored staying with the district.

The district also worked with Insight Research on a bond poll about five years ago.

The pollsters, Ray Briscoe and David Spatafore, said the Orem residents were a bit older, made less money and had a closer ratio of men to women responding than respondents from other cities in the survey.

The Orem residents also expressed concern about crowding in classrooms and district spending when responding to other questions, the pollsters said.

Orem City has hired a firm to study the feasibility of a city school district that could possibly include the nearby towns of Vineyard, Lindon and Pleasant Grove. The firm has begun collecting data, City Manager Jim Reams said.

"Our feasibility study would probably be supportive of what (Insight Research) found," said Lindon Mayor Jeff Acerson. "If it isn't, it'll be a surprise."

If the study indicates a city school district is feasible, Orem residents could be asked on the same November ballot if they want to split from Alpine that they are being asked to approve Alpine's proposed $230 million bond issuance and a $4 million leeway increase to build and operate new schools.