Courtesy Alpine School DistrictAlpine School District board members elected in November 2024 are sworn in during a board meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025 by Business Administrator Jason Sundberg. Board members shown from left; Mark Clement, Emily Peterson and Stacy Bateman.
The Alpine School District Board of Education welcomed a new member, selected a new president and reconstructed their leadership roles at Tuesday's meeting.
Emily Peterson was sworn into her first term on the board, while Stacy Bateman was sworn into her second term and Mark Clement was sworn into his third term, all following their elections last November.
Peterson won the District 6 seat during the general election with 59% of the votes and will represent a handful of schools in the Orem area -- which had been covered by former President Sara Hacken.
With Hacken out, the board elected Julie King as the new president after being nominated by Bateman.
Board member Ada Wilson nominated herself for the seat, while Clement nominated board member Sarah Beeson.
King, who is in her second term with the board and had been serving as vice president, won with the majority of the votes among the seven members.
As the Alpine School District prepares to split and three new entities will be formed, the board decided to expand its leadership to reflect each area in the proposed new districts.
Future boards will be selected later this year for each of the soon-to-be formed districts.
"I think one of the best things we can do is to make sure that we are hearing from each area and representing each area," Bateman said before the board. "I move that we expand the Board of Education leadership to one president and two vice presidents to be filled by one representative who resides in each of the boundaries of the reconfigured school district."
That motion passed unanimously.
Since King already represents the west side of the district, two members were chosen to reflect the proposed Central and South end of the district.
Beeson and Bateman were nominated to serve as vice presidents for the Central area district.
The board voted 4-3 in favor of Bateman.
Peterson, Wilson and Clement were all in contention for the role of vice president in the southern area of the district.
A majority of the board's votes swung in favor of Peterson.
While current board members work to navigate the looming transitional divide of the district, efforts are underway to prepare for those who will be selected to serve for the new districts.
Utah County is already working to determine precincts for the new school boards, which is set to be completed by April.
Board members for all three new districts will be elected in November and will take office next January.