Letters from petition supporters (pdf) seemed to focus primarily on "local control," the "dilution of public voice" and a general feeling of the "disenfranchisement" of public voice from the rural parts of the Alpine School District.

Interestingly, in the public response letters (pdf), some of those who have signed the initial petition now oppose the idea of a new school district, saying they signed the petition to initiate a study of the idea, not because they demand a split occur. Several others commented that the Eagle Mountain area already has a significant bankruptcy/foreclosure rate, and the likely increase in property taxes would only serve to exacerbate the problem. Developers in the proposed district also oppose the idea, believing the tax increase to be inevitable, which would severely hamper growth (and thus their investments) in the area.

The table of projected property taxes is duplicated here from the feasibility study (pdf) done by the Marriot School of Management, showing estimated residential and commercial property tax rates.

Tax Liability Per $1,000 Value

If they are accurate, the numbers are fairly significant, and that’s what the issue will boil down to if it gets forwarded to the ballot in November. Are residents in growing rural areas willing to pay more to receive the intangible benefit of increased public voice and participation in the education of their children? And will that increased voice provide a better education than what they’re getting now?

The ad hoc committee has recommended the new District not be created. At the public input meeting last night, there were only two voices near the end of the evening asked that the split go forward; the remainder of the two-hour block was used by residents opposed to the idea. (See the Deseret News article.)