Note: Recordings and documents for agenda items can be accessed via BoardDocs by clicking the corresponding agenda items.

Indian Hills Relocation During Construction

The Board of Education voted to formally relocate Indian Hills Middle, 1180 E. Sanders Road, to the former Crescent View Middle building, 11150 Green Ridge Dr., for the 2017-2018 school year. Additionally The Board approved adjusting the transportation boundary to the Crescent View building so more students qualify for transportation services while Indian Hills is being renovated. The renovation of the middle school is being funded by a $250 million bond issuance approved by voters in 2010. This will be final project to be completed with proceeds from the bond.   The District has completed all projects promised to the voters at the time of the bond’s passage.

F1 Visa Update

Office of Planning and Enrollment Director Dr. Floyd Stensrud updated the Board on progress toward obtaining permission to award F-1 visas to foreign students who wish to study at CSD high schools. The District has paid the initial fees, completed all applications, and awaits approval, possibly as early as October or November. If approved, Canyons would join seven Utah school districts that offer F-1 visas.  The other districts are Alpine, Davis, Kane, Nebo, Murray City, Park City, and Provo. Stensrud reminded the Board of the pros and cons of maintaining an F-1 visa program. CSD currently awards J-1 visas to 18 students through Utah’s foreign exchange program. F-1 visas are another path for non-immigrant students to study in the U.S., which gives districts greater flexibility but also requires more hands-on work to administer. There is currently demand for F-1 visas from students who have relatives overseas who would like to study at CSD’s high schools, and from students whose parents had to leave the country but they would like stay in Utah, Stensrud said. Foreign exchange programs provide American students an opportunity to interact with youth from different cultures, and any costs are covered by enrollees who would pay CSD the rough equivalent of Utah’s Weighted Pupil Unit. It does, however, place an administrative burden on school staff and might necessitate hiring a coordinator.

Code to Success

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Bob Dowdle spoke to the Board about “Code to Success,” an effort to teach students how to gain valuable computer-coding skills. Students who wish to participate in the proposed June-through-August course, which would be housed at Jordan High, would need to apply for entrance. The Board was asked to spend $27,000 to provide the program to up to 70 students in the summer. That would cover the cost of two teachers to provide 90 hours of instruction. Upon successful completion, students would receive an industry certification that would qualify them for a certain level of employment. The program is sponsored by the Ken Garff Automobile Group, the backers of Keys to Success. The Board will consider the proposal at a future meeting.

Governor Signs Declaration Honoring School Principals

With the flourish of his pen, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed a declaration establishing Oct. 17-21 as Principals Week across the Beehive state. As busy as bees, principals in high, middle and elementary schools “serve as educational visionaries, instructional leaders, assessment experts, disciplinarians, community builders, public relations experts, budget analysts, facility managers and much more,” states the declaration. Principals, the governor says, set the academic tone for their schools and work collaboratively with teachers to increase student achievement. The Canyons Board of Education and Administration agree with the governor’s words, and wish to express appreciation for the lengths our principals go to ensure the college- and career-readiness of all our students. The governor’s declaration was read into the minutes.

School Upgrades Proposal

Under a second reading, the Board considered more than two dozen small capital projects for the 2017-2018 school year, including a remodel of the Main Office at East Midvale Elementary; the installation of carbon-monoxide detectors at all elementary schools; and roofing and HVAC repairs. Each year, schools submit their construction wish lists, which are ranked by an administrative committee that weighs, among other things, whether the projects are a safety or security imperative, or will meet a legal requirement, said Business Administrator Leon Wilcox. If approved by the Board, the Purchasing Department will begin soliciting bids from February to March 2017 with a goal of having the projects completed the following fall.

Proposed Calendars

Office of Planning and Enrollment Director Dr. Floyd Stensrud presented two proposed calendars for the 2017-2018 academic year.  The calendar committee aimed to create a calendar that, for the ease of parents, would sync important dates and events at high, middle and elementary schools. Option No. 1 proposes to start school one week earlier than in the 2016-2017 school year.  It also provides time for elementary testing both in the fall and the spring; a two-week Winter Recess, and ends at the end of May. Option No. 2 largely mimics the 2016-2017 academic calendar. Per tradition, Brighton High has a separate calendar to accommodate the school’s trimester schedule. 

Consent Calendar

The Board of Education approved the consent calendar, including the approval of minutes from the Board meeting on Oct. 4; employment and termination reports; purchasing bids; student overnight travel; September financial reports; 2017 Utah Consolidation Application; and revised 2016-2017 Land Trust Plans for Union Middle School and Silver Mesa and Granite elementary schools. 

New Foundation Board President

The Board of Education ratified the appointment of John Martindale, Managing Partner of Alisa Capital, as the President of the Board of the Canyons Education Foundation. He succeeds Brad Snow, whose four-year leadership was honored during the Recognitions portion of the meeting. The Board also approved new Foundation bylaws and articles of incorporation and received the Foundation’s annual report.

Utah College Application Week

Two current students, Jordan High’s Gloria Equino and Jose Rios, and former Brighton High student Emma Critchlow, spoke in favor of Utah College Application Week, an event held annually to help every Canyons District senior submit a viable college application. The students spoke to the Board about how much UCAW events have positively impacted their lives. For example, Rios said he received a scholarship to attend college and play soccer. Critchlow is now attending Weber State University with money earned from a Foundation scholarship. The Canyons Education Foundation also pledged up to $10,000 to pay the college-application fees for low-income students.

Pledge of Allegiance, Reverence

Jordan High’s drill team presented the colors and led the audience in a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance followed by brief remarks by Jordan Principal Tom Sherwood. Praising Jordan High as a socioeconomically diverse and high-achieving school, Sherwood noted that half of the school’s juniors and seniors this year are taking an Advanced Placement course and another 25 percent are taking a concurrent enrollment course for college credit. The school also is home to National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists and was the first school in the district to implement the AVID program.

Superintendent, Business Administrator Remarks

Superintendent Dr. Jim Briscoe reported on attending a job fair at Brighton High. He also urged Board members to attend future job fairs at other CSD high schools. He also told the Board about his recent lunch meeting with PTA and SCC leaders, during which he presented the Board’s recently approved vision and mission statement.

Business Administrator Leon Wilcox told the Board that 34,017 students are enrolled in CSD, up by 118 from last year. He said the kindergarten enrollment is down 164 students this year, which could be a one-year blip in the counts. Wilcox also mentioned taking dignitaries, including Midvale Mayor Joann Seghini on a tour of the rebuild of Midvale Middle, which is scheduled to open next fall. In addition, he noted that sod turf will soon be installed at the new Butler Elementary. He also mentioned that Open Enrollment for health insurance will start Monday, Oct. 24.  All employees are required to signal whether they want to keep insurance or have insurance elsewhere.

Board of Education Reports

Mr. Robert Green reported on attending the recent Apex Awards and congratulated the winners. 

Mrs. Amber Shill thanked the presenters for explaining their items and following up on previous questions from the Board. She also thanked the team that planned and executed the Apex Awards. She invited the community to Brighton’s final football game of the season.

Mrs. Nancy Tingey asked the Board for an OK for the subcommittee regarding CSD’s vision and mission to reconvene and look at data compiled by Superintendent Briscoe. She thanked Dr. Briscoe for hosting the luncheon with PTA and SCC leaders and for leading a discussion on the newly approved vision and mission statements. She also expressed thanks for those who were honored with Apex Awards. She made special note of the schools that have amended the Land Trust Plans to address school needs. She invited the community to a 7 p.m. Town Hall on Oct. 27 at Albion Middle.

Mr. Steve Wrigley asked the Board to place the vision statement atop the Board meeting agenda with the aim of reminding the Board of the purpose of their work. He also attended the Arts Consortium meeting. He attended the Pathway to Professions conference. He also expressed thanks to those who planned the Apex Awards. 

Mr. Chad Iverson thanked Board members for approving the plan to move Indian Hills students to the old Crescent View Middle during the duration of construction. He attended middle school and high school cross country meets, as well as freshman/sophomore athletic contests. He went the league championship game between Brighton and Alta. He also invited the community to the Alta vs. Corner Canyon rivalry game.

President Sherril H. Taylor commended Canyons principals for their hard work and dedication. He said they deserve the week dedicated to their service. He thanked the officers for protecting the peace at Board meeting.