AMERICAN FORK, Utah — The Alpine School District Board of Education has voted unanimously to close Cedar Valley Elementary School. The school will remain open for the remainder of the school year.
According to the board, last week, the board of education of the new west district, which is temporarily named Lake Mountain School District, voted to close the school. But state law requires both boards to approve the closure.
“This was a very difficult decision made by weighing several important, and sometimes competing, priorities,” said Julie King, president of the Alpine School District Board of Education, and the president of the board of the west district.
Officials say the decision to close the school came down to three factors. They say the Cedar Valley area is expanding quickly, and the current facility wouldn't meet projections. The current elementary school also only has one class per grade level, something that officials say leads to teachers and students missing out on grade-level collaboration and programs other schools offer.
Administration officials add that Cedar Valley's cost per student was substantially higher than the district's average due to its small enrollment and staffing structure. According to the district, the school only served about 130 students.
The board also voted Tuesday night on a boundary adjustment for the district. That means Cedar Valley Elementary students will be sent to a new school that is currently under construction in Eagle Mountain. That school is scheduled to open next August.
