Canyons to Team With Department of Justice in Community Outreach

The Board directed Superintendent David Doty to work with the U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service (CRS) to create a strategy for community dialogue about civil rights and respect. Rosa Salamanca, a CRS conciliation specialist who offices in Denver, was invited to share her agency’s resources with the Board. CRS helps communities to assess and address their unique needs, and assemble a diverse group of community members to talk about and find solutions. CRS also can provide educational resources for students and community hate crimes training. Salamanca applauded the District’s swift efforts, which she called rare, to address issues that have arisen from an investigation into a racially-charged incident at Alta High School.

Boundary Options Timeline Approved

The Board of Education approved a timeline for the Boundary Steering Committee to publicize and receive public comment on draft options for potential boundary changes in the 2013-2014 school year. The Committee of parents, teachers and principals has met weekly since September to draft a master plan for elementary, middle and high school boundaries to address enrollment and capacity issues and make grade reconfiguration possible in the 2013-2014 school year. The Committee will present draft boundary options to the Board on April 26, post them online April 27, and hold the following eight open houses: May 4 at Union and Indian Hills middle schools; May 5 at Mount Jordan and Butler middle schools; May 11 at Midvale and Eastmont middle schools; May 12 at Crescent View and Albion Middle Schools. Open houses will be scheduled from 6 — 8 p.m. The community will be invited to give input at open houses and online through May 12. The Committee will weigh input, adjust options, and make recommendations to the Board May 17.

Dual Immersion Update

The Board directed District staff to examine ways to resolve community concerns over the Dual Immersion magnet program selection process at Silver Mesa Elementary. Dual Immersion participants are selected by lottery, and about half live outside the school’s boundaries. Due to error, the lottery for next school year was conducted a second time. Sixteen students chosen the first time were not selected the second time, though some were accommodated in other Dual Immersion programs. A group of parents asked the Board to change the selection process, give preference to neighborhood students, and add a Spanish Dual Immersion class to meet demand. District Officials expressed concerns about equity, funding and staffing difficulties, but will seek solutions.

Canyons Receives UTAH GENIUS Award

Canyons School District has received a UTAH GENIUS http://www.utahgenius.com award as one of Utah’s Top 20 Trademark Registrants. Canyons ranks No. 8 in Utah for its 10 issued trademarks. Others in Utah’s Top 20 include businesses MONAVIE, Nature’s Sunshine Products, and Overstock.com. UTAH GENIUS recognizes creative people, companies and cities behind Utah’s economy. Awards are based on objective statistics from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Canyons received the award at the March 24, 2011 UTAH GENIUS Honoree Showcase in Salt Lake City. Board Member Kevin Cromar accepted the award on the Board’s behalf.

Board Action

The Board approved the Consent Agenda, which includes the March 15 and 22 meeting minutes; purchasing bids and home school affidavit; and student overnight travel for the CTE TSA and DECA national conferences, Hillcrest High Student Body Officers, Jordan High Dance Company, and Brighton and Hillcrest ISEF Science Fair participants. Due to time constraints, the Board postponed discussion about a school safety task force.

Recognitions

About 300 employees and students were recognized for outstanding achievement. They include:

• Anthony Cheng, Midvale Middle, winner, State Geography Bee
• Ryan Baker, Hillcrest High, recipient of the Intel ISEF Grand Champion Award at the Salt Lake Valley Science & Engineering Fair
• Canyons Ed Tech Katie Blunt, Utah Coalition for Educational Technology’s Outstanding Young Educator
• Hillcrest Principal Sue Malone, recipient of the Sandy Chamber’s Leader in Education Award
• Hillcrest teacher Jackie Peterson, Latinos in Action Teacher of the Year
• Jordan High teacher librarian Laurel Harris, 2011 Utah Education Library Media Association (UELMA) Teacher Librarian of the Year
• Hillcrest Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher Marde Brunson FCCLA Area 5 Adviser of the Year
• Mount Jordan Middle teacher Wendy Hawkins, named Professional of the Year at the Utah Parent Center’s Family Links Conference
• Cindy Krueger, Entrada Adult High School Counselor, championship-winning softball player inducted into the Utah State University Athletic Hall of Fame
• Academic All-State honorees; Salt Lake Valley Science & Engineering Fair finalists; Sterling Scholar nominees and 17 finalists; State FCCLA, HOSA, SkillsUSA, FBLA, DECA, and TSA winners; the 2011 Middle School Intramurals 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament winners; and History Fair winners.
• The Region 17 PTA honored 21 professionals with Golden Apple and other awards for excellence in education.

Please visit http://www.boarddocs.com/ut/canyons/Board.nsf/Public to listen to the recognitions.

Patron Comments

Nine parents addressed the Board on the Alta High investigation into racially-charged incidents. Of them, eight spoke in favor of the District taking racial incidents seriously and its partnership with ethnic community leaders and the Department of Justice Community Relations Services to address issues; one couple said they were concerned about racial epithets directed at their child; two urged the Board to encourage an appropriate grass-roots response to the issue of racism; and one urged caution in over-disciplining one student. One man said he was disappointed with the District’s communication efforts, which he said maligned the Alta community and that the response is overblown. Board President Tracy Cowdell said he couldn’t discuss the ongoing investigation, but assured the audience that the District’s response is not overblown. Nine parents spoke against the Silver Mesa Dual Immersion program selection process, and asked the Board to make changes and add another class to meet demand. To hear recordings of the comments, visit http://www.boarddocs.com/ut/canyons/Board.nsf/Public.

CFO Report

CFO Keith Bradford reported the District has secured the proceeds from its first $68 million bonds issuance. Construction bids on bond projects Sandy Elementary and the new high school have come in lower than expected.