Alta and Aurelia may share a school district, but the future of their decades‑old 28E agreement is once again at the center of a familiar tug‑of‑war — and district leaders say they’re trying to keep the conversation steady as both sides work through longstanding questions about facilities, maintenance and communication.
At Monday night’s Alta‑Aurelia Community School District Board of Education meeting in Aurelia, Superintendent Denny Olhausen updated the board on three requests the City of Alta brought forward during an Aug. 11 meeting between representatives of both entities. He says the discussion came from a small joint group that includes himself, two school board members, two city council members and Alta Mayor Desi Suter.
Olhausen says the first request involves snow removal in the gravel parking lot near the swimming pool — an area the school uses heavily for student drop‑off and pick‑up at Alta Elementary.
He says the school board did not object to the idea of the district taking over that responsibility.
The second request involves community use of the Alta football field — a city‑owned facility the district still uses for practices under the 28E agreement. Alta is asking to use the field for future events, including a potential community soccer league, as long as it doesn’t conflict with school activities.
Olhausen says the board was open to that request as well.
The third item is the biggest: Alta is asking for a 20‑year extension of its 28E agreement with the school district, which currently runs through 2032 and outlines shared use of the football field and little league fields. Alta city leaders say they want long‑term certainty for youth programs and future planning. Olhausen says that request is not off the table either.
The joint group — which the city has previously referred to as the facilities committee — has met four times in the past three years. Olhausen says it’s designed to address small issues before they become larger ones.
One topic that did not come up Monday night was Alta’s push to bring at least one football game — particularly Homecoming — back to Alta. Olhausen says that decision is settled.
As for next steps, Olhausen says the joint group will meet again later this month or in early October to continue working through the city’s requests.
He says both sides will seek input from the full city council and full school board as discussions continue, with the goal of shaping an agreement that works for both entities.
