The building of a Church of Latter Day Saints seminary in Vail, Arizona is being met with some opposition from residents complaining about the project’s lack of transparency.
Last month officials with the Vail Unified School District expressed support for building the seminary next to the Cienega High School at 12775 E. Mary Ann Cleveland Way.
The planned one-story structure is expected to measure around 1,300 square feet and will likely cost around $500,000 to build, with the cost of construction to be borne by the LDS church.
But opponents of the project say it has lacked public input and, even more, the fact that it is a religious organization building on public property has raised philosophical concerns.
A non-profit group called Secular AZ, which is dedicated to what it calls the “separation of religion and government,” has since issued a cease-and-desist request calling on the school district to pull the project back.
“The school is not where religion is supposed to be taught,” Dianne Post, legal director for the group, said in a statement. Post added that “you may not have a public school favoring a particular religion.”
The agreement between the district and the LDS would allow the church to use the building during the daytime but would also make it available for school or community purposes.
The church has also said it would pay to rent the building and absorb any utility expenses.
In response to objections to the facility, Vail School District Superintendent John Carruth has said that members of the district’s school board may take a second look at the agreement at an upcoming meeting.
April 22, 2025
By Garry Boulard
