Kindergartners at Cascade Elementary walked a bright red carpet lined with teachers on Tuesday, Aug. 25, completing Alpine School District's last back-to-school season before the district splits into three on July 1, 2027.

The youngest students were the final cohort to arrive. The rest of the district returned the week of Aug. 19, according to the district, but elementary kindergartners got an extra week to prepare. By Tuesday morning, parents hovered with phones raised as children stepped along the carpet into the back courtyard, played on the playground and then lined up at classroom doors.

No curriculum on day one

Kindergarten teacher Amy Martin said the first day was about comfort, not academics. Teachers skipped formal lessons, instead walking students through routines and letting them play with toys.

"We don't really do any curriculum. We just kind of do procedures," Martin said. "We have toys that they can play with at the beginning, just to ease their way in."

Fellow kindergarten teacher Molly Ellen said a back-to-school night on Monday, Aug. 24, helped ease the transition, letting children find their cubbies and mailboxes through a scavenger hunt.

Parent Romy, who was sending her first child to kindergarten, said the school's advance preparation turned nerves into excitement.

"I think with any kid, expectations rule the day," Romy said. "So if a kid knows what they can expect, there is a lot less anxiety around the experience and they honestly start looking forward to it, which is what happened for our kid."

District's last year before split

The 2026-27 school year is Alpine School District's last as a unified system. On July 1, 2027, it will split into three successor districts: Aspen Peaks, Lake Mountain and Timpanogos. The three boards ratified an asset-distribution agreement in June, dividing unassigned resources by enrollment share: Aspen Peaks at 41.78%, Lake Mountain at 30.16% and Timpanogos at 28.06%.

Superintendent Rob Smith said in June that the ratification "is huge and speaks to the hard work done by really good people."

For families in Alpine, Highland, Cedar Hills and Lehi, the split means their schools will move to either Aspen Peaks or Lake Mountain by next summer. Until then, Alpine School District remains responsible for all 91 campuses.

With kindergartners now seated, every classroom across the district is full and the final year is officially underway.