Utah school officials are taking a look at growing numbers because economists are saying more people in the Provo/Orem area could mean a challenge ahead. Brigham Young University professor, Dr. Michael Ransom said, “more people coming in means more students.”
But the growth is something the district has already known about and taken care of for the next few years. Rhonda Bromley, the Alpine School District Spokeswoman, said, “We do project. We do plan ahead so that when we all of a sudden have growth it’s not a surprise we are ready as far as building and as far as people.”
Bromley also said we will see the same growth rate from 2009 in upcoming years. The increase is around 2,500 students a year.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that with more students comes more expenses, and a recent bond that was passed in the Alpine School District worth $70,000 should take us to 2016. She says the bond will cover new schools to accommodate the growth in schools like the middle school in Eagle Mountain, a high school in north Lehi, as well as a few elementary schools coming in the next few years. She said “We hope that funding won’t be a problem in the future, (but) probably it will be. It has been. It’s something that is going to probably continue to be a concern.”
Bromley said that even if funds get tight, she is confident the teachers and staff they have will make every penny count.
In other education news, No Child Left Behind is no more, but there’s a new rating system now and the numbers are out. Utah schools scored an average of about 400 out of 600 in the new system.You can see how the schools in your area by following this link www.schools.utah.gov.
