The Alpine School District Board of Education is a seven member group of citizens elected to four year terms to serve the patrons and students of this 58,740 student district. We are empowered by the State Constitution with the "general control and supervision" of public education within the Alpine District boundaries. Our main responsibility is to set educational policy to guide the maintenance and operation of the district's 67 schools.

This is an awesome responsibility, one which requires numerous policies and decisions affecting the curriculum, employee relations, budget, and school construction-- to name a few. The yardstick for our success is how we affect students, individually and collectively. We want to deliver the best possible education for the most possible students for the fewest possible dollars. With this as our goal, public input is not just an aid -- it's a necessity. We need your input. We need to know how our decisions affect students and families; we need to understand what patrons want from public education; we need to make our policies consistent with community standards and customs.

For this reason, we have established procedures for harvesting public input. In the first place, we reserve time at each of our public sessions for public comment. At our business meeting, held the second Tuesday of each month at board headquarters in American Fork, we host a "public opportunity to address the board" near the beginning of the session. Patrons who wish to speak to the board on any topic of concern or interest are asked to sign up prior to the meeting on a sheet provided at the door.

At the second meeting of the month, held on the fourth Tuesday during the school year (except for December and May), we host an open forum where public input is expanded. These public input sessions are generally held at local school sites. (A complete schedule of public board meetings is published in this report.)

In addition to these public meetings, the Board of Education receives public input from a number of special public groups, including the district community council, during the course of a year.

These efforts reflect our intent to make decisions in an open and honest manner, decisions based on sufficient and meaningful public input.

It's true, we can't please everyone all of the time. In fact, as a legislative body, our legal and ethical responsibility is to do what we consider is best for the greatest number of students in the Alpine School District, regardless of pressures or special interests.

Alpine School District has long had a community culture which supports family time. Realizing that students are balancing a clockwork-like schedule of school, activity practices and private lessons, the Board, in response to patrons and the District Community Council, is asking principals, teachers and parents to endeavor to clear one night a week from scheduled activities. The Board of Education supports the concept of a night for focus on families. The districts greatest asset is our children and supportive families. In this spirit we resolve to respect time for families to spend together.