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

Early Childhood Literacy

Canyons District has put into place plans to comply with SB241, a bill passed during the 2026 legislative session. The bill is best known for requiring the retention of third-graders if they are not reading at grade level by the third-grade. Instructional Supports Director Dr. Amber Roderick-Landward provided an update on the progress Canyons has made in the past year, including identifying accountability measures and providing to parents Individualized Reading Plans for students if they are below benchmark. Parents received the IRPs during the recent Parent-Teacher Conferences. Digital copies also were sent via Parent Square. According to data, the number of students who were identified as students who need IRP support range from 572, or 29 percent, of Canyons third-graders to 763, or 34.3 percent, of fifth-graders. Dr. Roderick-Landward said CSD has developed resources to support teachers and families in the districtwide drive to increase literacy skills. This includes how-to videos, a meeting guide for teachers, an Acadience guide for families, and at-home activities for families. Specialists also have revised intervention protocols, developed training for paraprofessionals to aid in literacy tutoring and instruction, and planned monthly professional learning for principals. CSD also is systematically cataloging, evaluating, and managing the District’s assets and resources. Dr. Roderick-Landward said most CSD expectations for implementation of the literacy-improvement legislation to beyond what is required in the statute. The push to build the love of reading extends past the classroom.  The Canyons Education Foundation recently announced a partnership to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to children, ranging in age from birth to five years gold. Participating families receive an age-appropriate book in the mail every month.

Nutrition Services

Changes in federal guidelines may soon call for school cafeterias to make from-scratch menu items, said Nutrition Services Director Sebasthian Varas.  This would increase the cost of each meal, Varas said. In an annual report on CSD’s Nutrition Services operations, he said additional training also would be required for many cafeteria personnel who have never cooked in industrial-grade kitchens. Each meal must meet Dietary Guidelines for Americans, he said, and the current meal pattern calls for an increase in availability of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in school menus.  While the meals must meet the dietary guidelines, local school districts can decide recipes and menu items. New menu items have been a hit with students. In Canyons, the most popular menu items are orange chicken, homemade mac and cheese, and pizza, he said. Varas said school breakfasts also must meet nutrition and caloric standards. In accordance with HB222, Canyons serves “Breakfast in Class” programs for the schools that have more than 30 percent of students who qualify for free- and reduced-price meals. This includes East Midvale, Midvalley, Copperview, and Sandy elementary schools. Midvale Elementary was among the first in CSD to offer “second-chance” breakfast instead of breakfast in the classroom. Now, Midvale, Crescent, East Sandy, and Glacier Hills participate. Eastmont, Midvale, Mount Jordan, and Union middle schools, and Hillcrest, Jordan and Diamond Ridge high schools also are part of the program. Canyons also provides such services as the summer-meal program, a fresh fruit and vegetable program, and a snack program. Roughly a quarter of all CSD students qualify for free- and reduced-price meal, he said, adding that the number is ticking up slightly over previous counts. Under HB100, students who qualify for reduced-price meals may receive free lunch at no cost. The District is then reimbursed by a grant, Varas said. Canyons also complies with HB402, which restricts specific additives food served in Utah schools. Fresh fruits and vegetables are provided in eligible elementary schools, with the aim of introducing children to fresh, unprocessed produce. Sandy, Copperview, Midvalley, Midvale Glacier Hills, and East Midvale participate, Varas said. According to figures shown during Board meeting, school lunch debt is not receding. Current debt, including carryover negative balance from the previous school year, is $589,000. Canyons has received about $15,882.10 in private donations to pay for negative meal accounts.

Teacher Allocation Process

The aim of Canyons’ teacher-allocation process is to balance the number of licensed personnel with the number of students at a school. This is determined through an ongoing, data-driven process that balances budgetary constraints, student enrollment, teacher-to-student ratios, and school and programmatic needs. Assistant Superintendent Mindy Robison said CSD uses full-time equivalent allocations to determine how much teacher staffing each school receives. Throughout the year, academic and operational departments collaborate on a review enrollment projections, actual student counts, school needs, and available funding. Robison said process unfolds throughout the year. From October to January, the Administration reviews enrollment projections, Oct. 1 student counts, and open-enrollment permits. From January to February, school officials determine initial staffing allocations using projected and actual enrollment, review allocations with principals, and establish the districtwide staffing total. March to June, the Administration finalizes staffing plans, considers alternative funding, hires teachers, and makes necessary employee transfers. Then, according to a timeline presented to the Board of Education, from June to September, schools monitor registration and attendance counts, adjust staffing, and finalize allocations following the 11-day count. Human Resources Director Tiffany Midgley said initial teacher allocations, the ones offered in the spring, are not necessarily final. The District continues monitoring enrollment as students register and begin attending school. After school starts, if enrollment is lower than anticipated, administrators work with schools to explore alternative funding and, if necessary, transfer teachers to other schools. Midgley said CSD follows policy when transfers are necessary as the result of overstaffing. This happens when the expected number of students simply do show up for school, which is what has happened at multiple schools in the past two years. Under the District’s process, volunteers are sought first.  If there are no volunteers, the Administration identifies employees according to reverse district seniority, subject to applicable program needs and exceptions. HR then ranks licensed employees by continuous district seniority. They also consider employee qualifications and placement preferences.  If possible, the new placements are announced before the end of the school year. If no appropriate position is available, the district follows its reduction-in-force policy. The District plans to present the information again in February, when updated enrollment counts will be available. The Administration also will focus on streamlining the communication process with families about enrollments, staffing, and required transfers for equity and budgetary reasons.

School Highlights

The Canyons District school that helps special-needs adults lead more independent lives, is growing, said Principal Stacey Nofsinger.  LifeSkills Academy’s 77 18- to 22-year-old students collaborate with faculty and staff to find training that is “in line with their interests,” Nofsinger said. The majority have off-campus internships and community jobs, while other learn new work and social skills from courses held at the school. This year, LSA has successfully launched “Flip’s Finds,” a boutique of student-made items such as key chains and decorated wooden blocks.  Nofsinger invited the community to LSA’s upcoming holiday sale.  At the meeting, LSA students joined Nofsinger in leading the Pledge of Allegiance.

Canyons Strong Recognitions

The following were mentioned for their achievements:

• Hillcrest, Brighton, Corner Canyon, Jordan and Alta students who won major acting and stage-tech awards at the 49^th annual Shakespeare competition held at Southern Utah University.
• Corner Canyon and Jordan music groups who won Sweepstakes and category awards at the Shakespeare competition. The Charger choirs won first place Sweepstakes and Beetdiggers won third-place Sweepstakes.
• The winners of the 2026 Apex Awards.  The ceremony will be held Tuesday, Oct. 27 at Mount Jordan Middle. A reception is at 6:15 p.m. and the ceremony is at 7 p.m.
• The three Hillcrest tennis stars who won second- and third-singles state titles and runner-up first singles honors at the 5A girls tennis championships. The team won second-place overall.
• The Alarm Responder teams who work at night and throughout the weekend to maintain our buildings and respond to emergencies.
• The winners of the 18^th annual Mike Sirois Invitational, the middle school intramural cross country race.  Intramurals is coordinated by Midvale Middle Assistant Principal Taylor Hansen.
• Canyons Innovation Center Director Reid Newey for being inducted into the Utah State University Athletic Hall of Fame.
• Midvalley Elementary was the first Utah school to get a visit by a Utah Mammoth player, plus mascot Tusky, for the team’s “Take a Player to School” event.
• Brighton girls soccer team bested Bountiful 2-1 to advance to Friday’s 5A UHSAA championship game against Olympus.
• Jordan boys cross country and Brighton girls cross country won their Region trophies. The 4A state championship race will be Oct. 28.  The 5A and 6A state races are on Oct. 27.  Both races will be at Sugar House Park.
• The Corner Canyon Chargers, Alta Hawks and Hillcrest Huskies are all playing in the state football playoffs.  The Chargers play Bingham on Oct. 30 in the first round.  The Hawks and Huskies square off in an intradistrict battle.  The game will be Oct. 30 at Alta High.

Patron Comment

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

• Jason Maldonado
• Jana White

Consent Agenda

The Board of Education approved the Consent Agenda, including the minutes for the meeting on Oct. 6, 2026; hire and termination reports; purchasing bids; September Financial Reports; Salt Lake Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan; SCC exemption for Goldminer’s Daughter and LifeSkills Academy, a sale of property, and TSSP and LAND Trust amendment for Sprucewood  Elementary.

Academic Calendar

For future academic calendars, the Board of Education stated a desire for first semester to end before the start of Winter Recess. The Board also asked the Administration to gather input via a survey from parents of high school students who would be impacted by a fixed “A/B” schedule, which means that “A Day” would occur every Monday and Wednesday and “B Day” would be every Tuesday and Thursday.  Fridays would alternate between “A Day” and “B Day.”  HR Director Tiffany Midgley and the Calendar Committee will continue working on proposals for proposed and tentative calendars for the coming school years. 

Staff Reports

Superintendent Dr.  McKay Robinson thanked the District’s early-literacy team for the work being done to comply with SB241. He remarked on the scheduled DLI Parent meetings, congratulated the Unified soccer teams who recently competed for a chance to compete at the state level, and the Instructional Support, Special Education and Student Wellness Services specialists who recently provided professional development on student behavior management. He reported on visiting and purchasing items from the LSA craft store, the School Spotlight visits at Sprucewood and the Canyons Technical Education Center. He expressed appreciation for all CSD employees for the good working being done all across Canyons. He hopes Fall Recess was restful and relaxing for Canyons personnel. 

Business Administrator Leon Wilcox remarked on the teacher-allocation presentation in Study Session and noted the approval of MTG as the firm to perform studies on boundaries and enrollment. He remarked on the recent news that Canyons District students continue to outperform their Salt Lake County peers on the ACT exam — even in a year when Utah students improved their overall performance. He encouraged all employees to participate in Insurance Open Enrollment, which is currently open.  The final day of the Open Enrollment window is Oct. 30.

Board of Education Reports

Ms. Holly Neibaur Hayes said she appreciated the long-range planning update and asked for more consistent updates. Ms. Neibaur Hayes noted the upcoming survey on boundaries and enrollments.

Mr. Jackson Lewis reported on attending the CUBE Conference. He recently had dinner with Midvale Mayor Dustin Gettel, who gifted Mr. Lewis with a piece of the old Hillcrest High before its demolition.  Lewis said he’ll join municipal leaders at the Friday, Oct. 30 football playoff game between CSD teams Alta and Hillcrest high schools.

Mr. Andrew Edtl encouraged patrons to vote, especially for candidate who represent similar values instead of labels. He also urged a civil election season. He thanked all CSD employees, including the ESP personnel, for building and maintaining top-tier schools.

Ms. Amanda Oaks reported on attending the School Spotlight visit at Sprucewood, particularly the ELA class and the literacy instruction. She attended the Senior Night for the Brighton volleyball team to support a family member.  Ms. Oaks played in a benefit concert that was held in honor of a former high school teacher, Jack Ashton, who influenced generations of music students. She thanked teachers for their dedication and hard work on behalf of students, even if they don’t realize at the time the impact their have in the lives of students.  “I promise you,” she said, “one day it will come back.”  

Ms. Katie Dahle said she hoped Fall Recess was restful for CSD employees and families.  She reported on attending the student -created opera based on the children’s book “Jumanji” at Brookwood.  She met with students to conduct mock interviews and enjoyed the first meeting with the Student Advisory Council.  She thanked the Region PTA for hosting the Meet the Candidates Night. 

Ms. Karen Pedersen said she was honored to serve as a judge for the Peruvian Park Reflections contest. She thanked the volunteers in CSD schools.  Without parent support, she said, CSD school communities would not be as strong. She reminded her Board colleges that the USBA master board certification will soon be due. Ms. Pedersen remarked on the District’s strong early-childhood literacy efforts.

President Shill reported on visiting Jordan High for the School Spotlight. She thanked School Performance Director Alice Meridith and Public Engagement Coordinator Susan Edwards for conducting the School Community Council training.  She said the Board’s Legislative Priorities have been drafted. She also remarked on attending the Emergency Management Team meeting and the Canyons Innovation Center Committee meeting.  She congratulated the Brighton High girls soccer team for making it to the 5A UHSAA finals.  The Bengals will play Olympus on Friday, Oct. 23 at Zions Bank Stadium for the title.