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

Jordan High Improvement Projects

A major upgrade to Jordan High’s baseball and softball fields, plus the installation of a new lighting system on the Beetdigger campus, are among the major projects on Canyons’ small capital-facilities list. In all, CSD is budgeting $5 million in a pay-as-you-go model to make improvements at schools. At Jordan High in the coming year, Canyons plans to invest $700,000 for a turf baseball-diamond infield, new bullpens and batting cages, a warning track enlargement, and irrigation upgrades. A $725,000 ballpark-lighting project, which only Jordan High will have among all CSD high schools, also will be installed, said Business Administrator Leon Wilcox. Additional lighting is planned for the Jordan High parking lot, as well. CSD also may seek to replace Jordan’s gym bleachers and locker room flooring, according to Wilcox. Other projects include repeater systems to improve emergency-communication radio frequency at Midvale and Union middle schools, HVAC-control and boiler-system upgrades or replacements at Albion Middle and Copperview, Oak Hollow and Canyon View elementary schools, and playground resurfacing at Oakdale Elementary. Another project aims to improve Alta’s irrigation and backflow system. Also proposed is the installation of easily activated classroom door locks in seven elementary schools. Other projects at Alta and Brighton are still under consideration.  After project approval, the Administration begins the design and bid-approval phases. Wilcox said work on projects must begin by June 1 to ensure completion for the 2026-2027 school year. 

Long-Range Planning Committee Update

A Transition Team made up of school administrators, teachers, and parents is being created to ensure a smooth consolidation of the Ridgecrest and Bella Vista elementary school communities. The team’s focus will be on a smooth transition for the Tigers — from both Ridgecrest and Bella Vista. Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, students who live in the boundaries of both schools will be assigned to attend Ridgecrest as their boundary school. The decision to merge the two schools — yet maintain the Bella Vista facility as a District asset — came after a review of under-enrolled schools in CSD. Following a public-input window, the Board of Education opted to merge the two schools to create a school community of some 600 students. Ridgecrest’s administrators, Principal Sara Allen and Assistant Principal Crystal Conners, will be among those on the Transition Team. Allen will remain Principal of the building and Connors will also continue as Assistant Principal of the newly united school. The Transition Team also will include Barbra Winder, Principal of Bella Vista, and Amy Sandgren, principal of East Midvale, which next year will welcome current Ridgecrest students who live west of 1300 East. The move will bolster East Midvale’s potential enrollment to 540 and better align elementary boundaries with Midvale Middle’s boundaries. The consolidation and boundary changes were approved by the Board after the study done by CSD’s Long-Range Planning Committee, which also has recommended the mergers of under-enrolled Park Lane and Willow Canyon and Granite and Quail Hollow elementary schools. The Board of Education has been receiving public input on those proposals. During a presentation based on the committee’s most-recent review of public input, Business Administrator Leon Wilcox presented new options, including a suggestion to temporarily pause the remaining school-consolidation proposals until further review can be done to ensure continuity in communities, minimize interruptions to school operations, and scrutinize possible impacts to feeder systems. Pending further discussion, the Board will continue to take public input on the proposed Park Lane-Willow Canyon and Granite-Quail Hollow consolidations. 

Canyons Innovation Center Update

Construction crews are readying to turn the former regional headquarters of eBay into the state’s top technical-training center. Work on the 35,000-square-foot Trades Building of the Draper-based Canyons Innovation Center, which will replace the Canyons Technical Education Center in Sandy, is scheduled to start in January. Project bids were solicited through a competitive public bidding process and evaluated for responsiveness and compliance with established specifications, scope, and cost controls, according to Business Administrator Leon Wilcox. Center Director Reid Newey discussed the project’s progress, including updated blueprints and architect renderings. Newey also presented information about the Innovation Center’s program and curriculum development in such subjects as Business-Entrepreneurship, Information Technology, and Integrated Media and Media Arts. Innovation Center and District Administrators also are pursuing partnerships in Engineering, Manufacturing, Aviation, Hospitality, Medical Services, and Skilled Trades. Even before the opening of the center, said Newey, Canyons District will launch a college-credit course through Weber State University’s Allied Health Department and in partnership with Lone Peak and Alta View hospitals. CTEC students will be able to enroll in the programs, Newey said. The Innovation Center also is seeking Catalyst Grant funding to help defray the cost of the launching the Innovation Center and expanding the programs that are currently offered at CTEC.  Sam Soter, currently a marketing and business teacher at Jordan High, is the center’s new Business Development Specialist.

School Highlights

Principal Scott Jameson said he’s proud of the partnership Alta View Elementary has forged with the International Spanish Academy. Through a partnership with the Spanish Embassy, graduates of the Roadrunner Spanish-English Dual Language Immersion program receive a certificate from the academy. Alta View also has been awarded the National PTA School of Excellence honor, one of only five in Utah to achieve that status with the PTA. Alta View’s PTA reported a successful fall fund-raiser that pulled in $30,000 for assemblies, field trips, and other activities. Students also presented information about Alta View’s student-focused initiatives and activities.

Patron Comment

The following patrons addressed the Board during Patron Comment. Recordings of the remarks can be accessed on Diligent:

• Elcena Saline and representatives from the Canyons Association of Elementary School Principals
• Jared Herbert
• PJ Mannion
• Jake Garfield

Curriculum Presentations

Instructional Supports Director Dr. Amber Roderick-Landward said seven patrons already have reviewed and provide feedback on a proposed mathematics curriculum. Currently under consideration are “Amplify Desmos Math” for elementary and “Reveal Math” for secondary. If approved, the programs will be taught in CSD schools, starting in fall 2026. The curriculum emphasizes problem-solving, digital tools, and building strong conceptual understanding and is aligned with state standards through curriculum maps. In addition, Dr. Roderick-Landward informed the Board about recent state-education discussions regarding high school mathematics standards and the possible implications for CSD students and faculty.  Dr. Roderick-Landward’s team also provided an update on how Artificial Intelligence is being used in Canyons District, both educationally and operationally. Use of MagicSchool, a CSD-approved AI-powered tool for teachers, has skyrocketed in a year-to-year comparison. The tally of uses hit some 18,000 in October. ISD also is working on District-specific AI tools with uses ranging from helping educators navigate the CTESS Teacher Evaluation System to chatbot-assisted learning in STEM fields.  Specialists continue to study best classroom-instruction practices, operation-department use, and professional opportunities for AI.   

New Entrada Logo

Entrada Adult High School has adopted a new logo, mascot, and official school colors. Mark Mataya, CSD’s Adult Education Program Manager, said Entrada students, faculty and staff have selected Navigators as the mascot. Green and blue will be Entrada’s school colors. Mataya said the term “Navigator” embodies guidance and support on a transformative journey, which is reflective of the efforts of both Entrada teachers and students alike. A suite of logos for the Entrada Navigators was created by CSD Graphics Designer Jeff Olson.

Administrative Appointment

The Canyons Board of Education approved the appointment of Braxton Thornley as a new Assistant Principal at Alta High. Thornley, who was honored in 2022 by the Jordan Education Foundation as the JSD Outstanding Educator of the Year, is assuming an administrative role at the home of the Hawks. Thornley replaces Steve Bailey, a retired veteran CSD administrator who was serving in a temporary administrative capacity at Alta. Before completing his administrative internships at practicum in five school districts, Thornley worked as a senior technology trainer and product manager at the Utah Education Network. Previously, was a digital teaching and learning instructional coach and English teacher in the Jordan School District.

Consent Agenda 

The Board of Education approved the Consent Agenda, including the minutes from the Dec. 2 meeting of the Canyons Board of Education; the hire and termination reports; purchasing bids; approval of November Financial Reports; a Federal Single Audit and State Compliance Audit Reports; new Entrada logo and mascot; amendments Land Trust/TSSP for Altara and Copperview elementary, and administrative appointments.

Superintendent, Business Administrator Reports

Superintendent Dr. Rick Robins noted the selection of Corner Canyon Coach Eric Kjar as Weber State University’s head football coach. Dr. Robins said it’s rare for a high school coach to make the jump from the prep level to a Division I school. He thanked Coach Kjar for his contributions to Corner Canyon’s success and wished him well in his new post as the leader of the Wildcats. 

Business Administrator Leon Wilcox also congratulated Kjar for being named the head coach of Weber State football. He also reported on taking his sons to a districtwide swim meet.

Mrs. Katie Dahle wished the community a wonderful holiday season. She urged the community to continue providing input on boundary and enrollment studies.

Mrs. Amanda Oaks reported on attending high school performances, including the “Dancing With the Hawks” ballroom-dance competition. She also remarked on partnerships CSD is making to bolster the Canyons Innovation Center. 

Mr. Jackson Lewis congratulated Salt Lake educator John Arthur for being picked to serve in the Utah Legislature in the Democratic seat held by Rep. GayLynn Bennion, a longtime legislator who is the mayor-elect of Cottonwood Heights. President Shill thanked the CSD staff and indicated she’d gauge Board interest in possible future discussions via text message.