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

Administrative Appointment

After nearly a decade expanding and strengthening Career and Technical Education opportunities across Canyons District, Patricia “Patti” Larkin has been selected as the District’s new CTE Director. Larkin succeeds longtime CTE Director Janet Goble who died this year following a valiant battle with cancer. She is committed to building upon Goble’s legacy and continuing to advance high-quality career-connected learning opportunities for students. “What I admire most about Janet’s leadership is her unwavering advocacy for career-focused learning and her belief that every student has unique talents and potential,” Larkin said. “I am honored to continue that work by expanding hands-on learning opportunities that help students explore career interests, discover their strengths, and prepare for successful futures.” A veteran educator with nearly 20 years of experience in CTE, Larkin currently serves as Canyons District’s CTE Specialist, a position she has held since 2017. In that role, she has led districtwide CTE initiatives and supported curriculum development and professional learning for educators both within Canyons and across Utah. She has also built strong partnerships with business and industry leaders to expand internships, work-based learning experiences, mentorships, and other career opportunities for students. Before joining the District Office, Larkin taught technology and engineering courses at both Albion and Indian Hills middle schools. Throughout her career, she has supported students beyond the classroom, coaching cross-country and track teams, and serving as an adviser and mentor. Additional information about Larkin can be accessed at canyonsdistrict.org.

Proposed Budget

Canyons District is proposing a $610 million budget for the coming year. In a presentation about the proposed budget to the Board of Education, Business Administrator Leon Wilcox noted that, according to recently released assessed home valuations, the average price of a house in CSD has increased 82.9 percent to $769,500 over a six-year period. Under the revenue-driven tax system, the housing assessed valuations and the certified tax rate have an inverse, balancing relationship. When the median price of a home in Canyons goes up, he said, the certified tax rate goes down.  But year, local government entities can plan on collecting the same amount, unless they approve a change to the rate. For only the fourth time in CSD history, Canyons is considering an increase to the certified tax rate. If approved, the extra money will allow CSD provide a.75 percent cost-of-living increase for all employees. Some $210,000 will be used to hire a manufacturing teacher and an engineering teacher at the Canyons Innovation Center, and $4.5 million will be allocated to the general-obligation bond debt that was accrued to modernizes and build schools over the past 16 years. A tentative budget for the 2027 fiscal year is up for adoption at the June 16 meeting of the Board of Education. Final approval would come after the scheduled Aug. 4 Truth-in-Taxation hearing, which also would include a public comment period. For the hearing, patrons may address the Board in person or submit their input in writing. The 6 p.m. hearing will be the Board Chambers at 9361 S. 300 East.  In addition, the Board also is considering a proposed increase to lunch and breakfast prices. This is in response to the 16 percent increase in the consumer price index for food. Currently, CSD elementary students pay $1 for breakfast and $2 for lunch. Secondary students pay $1.25 for breakfast and $2.25 for lunch.  The prices, if approved, would increase to $2 for elementary breakfasts and $2.50 for elementary lunches.  Secondary students would pay $2.25 and $4 for breakfast and lunch, respectively. Even if the Board approves the cost increase, Canyons’ Title I schools — Copperview, East Midvale, Midvale, Midvalley, and Sandy elementary schools — will continue to serve free breakfast and lunch.

Canyons Education Foundation Update

In total assets, the Canyons Education Foundation has $3,077,910, including the tally of the endowment, to support Canyons District students and employees. In an update to the Board of Education, Foundation Development Officer Denise Haycock noted that the Foundation’s big-ticket and anticipated events — the spring gala, fall golf tournament, and themed fun runs — bring in the majority the donations to help pay for such projects as District Resource Closet, winter-holiday student support, Unified Sports expansion, student and employee scholarships, college application fees, and special-event requests, such as a back-to-school dinner at The Road Home homeless shelter.  Haycock said the Foundation, overseen by a volunteer board of 25 board members, also sponsors the Teacher of the Year program, provides Innovation Grants to CSD teachers, gives matching offers on DonorsChoose.org projects, buys classrooms supplies, and spearheads the collection effort for the employee-funded Aspiring Canyons Educator scholarship. The Foundation also is involved in raising money and making industry connections for the Canyons Innovation Center. Haycock expressed her appreciation for her tenure in the Foundation. Haycock, one of the first 100 employees in CSD, is retiring.  Brooke Carn, now a staff member in Canyons’ External Relations Department, has been named Haycock’s successor.  President Amber Shill presented a bouquet of flowers to Haycock, who previously also served as the Board’s secretary, as an expression of appreciation for Haycock’s work throughout her years in CSD.

Strategic Plan

The Operating Systems Committee informed the Board about work being done on several projects, including the ongoing transition to a new Student Information System and a possible adjustment to the academic calendar to end the semester before school releases for Winter Recess. Business Administrator Leon Wilcox, who leads the Strategic Plan-related committee that focuses on issues related to the operations and logistics of CSD, remarked on the roll-out of Qmlativ, the SIS that will replace Skyward. The aim is to hit implementation targets so CSD can have a smooth back-to-school registration process in the fall. Wilcox also said CSD has conducted a survey to get feedback on possible changes to the calendar, including potential new ending dates of semesters. Additionally. The Board received an update on CSD’s strategic-enrollment campaign, which included surveys, an effort to streamline the registration process, a customer-service initiative, a re-branding of the “Planning and Enrollment” department as “Admissions,” and a move to automatically enroll preschoolers into a CSD kindergarten, among other efforts. The Canyons Office of Public Communication plans to market CSD through postcards, movie theater ads, yard signs for graduates, and ads on our school buses.

Policy Update

The Board is considering an update to a policy governing what kind of food can be sold, donated, offered, or served in public schools, beginning in 2026-2027. This is in response to a new law that was passed during the 2026 legislative session. The law states no food can be served during the school day that contains potassium bromate; propylparaben, FD&C Blue No. 1, FD&C Blue No. 2, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, and FD&C Yellow No. 6. However, a student’s parent may provide their own students with a food item with additives  described above during the school day, a teacher may provide students with a food item with food additive ingredients described above, if the teacher obtains permission from the students’ parents at the start of each school semester; and a school may sell a food item with food additive ingredients as described above as a concession item at a school-sponsored event or extra-curricular activity; or in a vending machine. This law does not pertain to charter or private schools. Assistant Legal Counsel Jeff Christensen also noted that the Policy Committee is working on tech-related policy updates, drafted in response to new laws, to ban AI glasses, cell phones, or other emerging technologies during classroom hours unless an exception applies.

Facility Usage

The Administration may move Life Skills Academy and Entrada Adult High School to the old Bella Vista building for the 2027-2028 school year. Entrada, which currently operates in the same building at Diamond Ridge High, would transplant to the Cottonwood Heights facility to gain room to grow. An Entrada move also would open up space for Diamond Ridge High, Canyons’ alternative high school, to grow on its current campus. Canyons High Schools Director Dr. Tom Sherwood said LSA students may be more inclined to enroll in Entrada classes if the programs operated in the same building. Additional information would be presented to the Entrada and LSA communities if the proposal advances.

Patron Comment

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

on Diligent.

• Breanne England
• Dennis Lagodimos
• Jason Maldonado

Canyons Strong Recognitions

The following employees were recognized for their achievements:

• Brad Snow was honored for 17 years of service on the Canyons Education Foundation Board. Snow also served terms as Foundation Bord President while also leading a citizen’s initiative to raise private funds for the 2017 bond campaign.
• CSD school bus driver Terry Brown was recognized for winning the Utah School Bus Safety Skills Competition. Driver Jeremy Klung won third. Brown earned a chance to compete internationally this summer in Texas.
• The Sprucewood Elermentary team received accolades for saving a child who was choking.  The team of teacher Ashton Brown, nurse Tonja Wade, secretary Rae Henline, AFM Lane Brown, support assistant Becky Scroggin, and paraprofessional Wendy Christiansen, as well as Principal Dr. Ashley Lennox, worked quickly to save the child.
• Sprucewood’s Instructional Coach Christina Van Dam, who caps her school year with an elaborate musical, is an example of an employee who is “Canyons Living” by finishing the Ogden Marathon, her first full marathon. Employees are encouraged to post “Canyons Living” photos of their summer adventures as a wellness activity.
• For her 47 years of service, East Midvale’s retiring secretary Charlotte Graham was surprised with the news that the school has named its garden after her. From now on, it will be “Graham’s Garden.” Graham was one of 58 retirees in CSD this year.  Retirees were feted at a by-invitation-only banquet in May. 
• Canyons Innovation Center Director Reid Newey is being inducted into the Utah State University Athletics Hall of Fame. Newey remains the 13th leading scorer in Aggie hoops history, with 1,536 career points. 
• Five CSD educators were recognized for receiving Science of Reading Awards from the Utah State Office of Education.  CSD’s winners are ISD’s Bernice Allen and Leigh Ann Fisher and Granite’s Tiffany Smith, Bella Vista’s Tamara Coombs, and Altara’s Peyton Dahlmeier.
• Union Middle’ Brooke Grant for being honored with Utah Valley University’s College of Education Alumni Award.
• CSDtv’s Ryan Wilde has completed a 30-minute documentary on the making of Hillcrest’s “Phantom of the Opera.”  The documentary, CSDtv’s first, was set to debut Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Consent Agenda

The Board approved the Consent Agenda, including the minutes for May 19, 2026; hire and termination reports; purchasing bids; the contract for the CSD Business Administrator from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2028; a document committing increased proposed property tax revenues in the General Fund Balance; and administrative appointments.

Superintendent’s Listening Tour

Canyons’ next Superintendent, Dr. McKay Robinson, outlined major issues discussed during Listening Tour stops in the 2025-2026 school year.  Canyons’ previous superintendent, Dr. Rick Robins, visited faculty or staff at an administrator’s request. Dr. Robins would field questions about CSD operations, plans, and issues. Key themes included appreciation for additional planning time, the hiring of extra assistant principals, child-care benefits, and greater attention to employee wellness. According to a word-frequency analysis of notes from the Listening Tour stops, employees often brought up issues related to special education, increased compensation, decreasing enrollment, school consolidations, class sizes, student behaviors, dual-language immersion programs. planning and preparation time, and salary and benefits. 

Superintendent, Business Administrator Reports

Dr. Robinson thanked Snow for his contributions to the growth of CSD and the Canyons Education Foundation Board. Robinson also thanked retiring Development Officer Haycock for her work not just in the Foundation but in various roles since the creation of Canyons. He also noted the career of truancy officer of Suzanne Ren, who also is retiring this year. He remarked on the success of the Elevated Teaching Summit, which attracted hundreds of CSD teachers. The annual education-technology conference, planned by the Instructional Supports Department, featured more than 250 sessions over two days. Robinson congratulated the Class of 2026 and commented on participating in three graduation rites. In closing, Robinson thanked Sandy Police Sgt. Todd Singleton for his five-year tenure as the supervisor of the Sandy School Resource Officers. 

Mr. Wilcox thanked School Performance Department administrative assistant for filling in for Board Secretary Cindee Clawson, who is volunteering at ALA Utah Girls State.  He thanked the Board for approving a two-year contract extension. He reported on attending commencement rites for Alta and Corner Canyon high schools. He congratulated graduates and their families. 

Board Comments

Mr. Holly Neibaur Hayes remarked on participating in commencement rites and end-of-year classroom activities. She thanked those who gave so much of themselves throughout the school year to education the community’s children.

Mr. Jackson Lewis reported on Jordan Valley School’s completion ceremony. He also attended Hillcrest and Brighton graduation rites. He hopes students and teachers alike enjoy Summer Recess.

Mr. Andrew Edtl remarked on the quality of CSD students, including the Class of 2026.  Hard work is being done in CSD schools and communities to prepare students for life. Canyons SROs, who are role models for students, strive to keep campuses safe. Officers who serve in CSD schools are the best SROs in Utah, he said. 

Ms. Katie Dahle attended the Elevate Conference. She congratulated graduates and thanked the commencement committees.  She expressed appreciation for Snow and Haycock for their work in the Foundation, which makes important connections in various industries. 

Ms. Karen Pedersen reported on attending graduation ceremonies and noted the touching commencement addresses of the students at CSD’s alternative high school. She also commented on last-day-of-school celebrations. She spoke remarked on the Listening Tours, which have provided an avenue for employees to provide input.  

President Shill thanked Bostic for filling in for Clawson, expressed appreciation to the commencement committees, and thanked Board members for keeping their commencement addresses short. She remarked on a PLC conference she attended at Brighton High with Ms. Dahle. She also reported on the “clap out” at Bella Vista for the school’s final year before it consolidates with Ridgecrest.