Kelly Smith Supported the Process Before Brady’s Bill Ever Existed.
The record is clear. Months before HB3003, Kelly Smith was already organizing, explaining, defending, and advancing the interlocal school district split process. She backed the map that excluded Pleasant Grove, raised concerns about the option that would have included Pleasant Grove, and made the motion to move the interlocal agreement forward.
Kelly Smith’s own words
In April, Kelly Smith explained how the interlocal process worked. She said the participating cities could move forward without needing Pleasant Grove or Orem to vote on whether they could go.
That was April. Brady’s bill came later.
HB3003 did not invent the interlocal process. HB3003 did not draw the district boundaries. The interlocal cities had already chosen the proposed configuration and Kelly Smith was already publicly explaining how it would work.
The Timeline They Do Not Want You to See
Kelly Smith was leading the effort.
At the Cedar Hills meeting, Mayor Denise Andersen thanked Councilmember Kelly Smith and described her as “literally an army of one working on this issue for the city.”
City leaders met before the vote.
The mayor said representatives from cities across Alpine School District met in Cedar Hills before the special meeting. She said they “put our cards on the table” to discuss what was best for their communities.
Kelly explained the interlocal strategy.
Kelly Smith explained that under the interlocal approach, the participating cities could vote inside their own proposed boundaries instead of having Pleasant Grove, Orem, Eagle Mountain, or Saratoga Springs vote on whether they could move forward.
“We don’t need Pleasant Grove and Orem to vote whether we can go. We don’t need Eagle Mountain and Saratoga to vote on whether or not we can go.”
HB3003 Did Not Exclude Pleasant Grove.
Pleasant Grove was already outside the proposed district boundaries before HB3003 was introduced. Those boundaries were created through the interlocal process that Kelly Smith helped organize, advocate for, and advance.
HB3003 came later to clean up the election process and prevent voters from facing competing ballot propositions that could produce contradictory results.
What the Official Record Shows
Kelly Smith said the interlocal cities would decide inside their own boundaries.
Kelly Smith explained that the interlocal process allowed the participating cities to “drill down” locally and decide what configuration they wanted inside their own boundaries.
“So we’re kind of taking what the district’s doing but maybe drilling it down a little bit more local to where we get to decide what configuration we want inside our boundaries.”
A resident directly asked why Pleasant Grove was not included.
This was not hidden. During the April 29, 2024 Cedar Hills City Council meeting, a resident asked why Option 4 did not include Pleasant Grove.
“Why the particular one as opposed to not staying with Pleasant Grove as well or even Orem?”
Kelly Smith acknowledged that Option 5 included Pleasant Grove.
Kelly Smith responded by explaining that Option 5 would have placed Pleasant Grove with the cities moving forward under the interlocal process.
“That was Option 5, was to put Pleasant Grove with the cities that we’re looking at doing.”
But Kelly Smith raised concerns about Option 5.
Instead of supporting the option that included Pleasant Grove, Kelly Smith said Option 5 gave her pause.
“Option 5 gave me a little bit of pause.”
Kelly Smith defended Option 4 as the preferred split.
Kelly Smith said Option 4 appeared to be the most viable option for their residents and was the configuration Cedar Hills was considering.
“This Option 4 as presented by MGT... seemed to be the most viable option for our residents. So that’s why that’s the option that we are considering.”
Kelly Smith argued Pleasant Grove was tied elsewhere.
Kelly Smith explained that Pleasant Grove was more educationally tied to Lindon and Orem than to the cities moving forward under Option 4.
“We have a small sliver of PG students who come to Deerfield Elementary but besides that we don’t have a crossover with Pleasant Grove educationally... they are very tied to Lindon.”
Residents warned that Option 4 looked like a decision had already been made.
Another resident asked for the pros and cons of other options and said that without more information, it could look like the city had already made its decision.
“Without that information it can seem as though that decision has been made.”
Then Kelly Smith made the motion.
At the end of the meeting, Kelly Smith made the motion to approve the interlocal agreement for the creation of a new school district. The proposed interlocal included Cedar Hills, American Fork, Lehi, Highland, Alpine, and the Utah County portion of Draper. Pleasant Grove was not included.
“I’m making the motion that we approve Resolution 04-29-24A... a resolution approving an interlocal agreement with other entities currently within the boundaries of the Alpine School District for the creation of a new school district.”
Brady’s bill cleaned up the ballot process after the cities acted.
HB3003 addressed procedures for creating a new school district and elections for new school board members. It also clarified that the proposal would be submitted to voters residing within the proposed new school district boundaries.
“The county clerks... shall submit the proposal for the creation of a new school district to all legal voters residing within the proposed new school district boundaries.”
Bottom Line
Kelly Smith helped lead the interlocal process, explained that Pleasant Grove and Orem did not need to vote on whether the participating cities could move forward, defended the map that excluded Pleasant Grove, raised concerns about the option that would have included Pleasant Grove, and made the motion to move the plan forward. HB3003 did not draw the boundaries. The interlocal process did.