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

Administrative Appointment

An award-winning administrator and former mathematics teacher and curriculum specialist been selected as the next director of Canyons middle schools. The Board of Education appointed Mindy Robison, Principal of Midvale Middle, to the Office of School Performance. Her unanimous appointment was part of the Consent Agenda. She succeeds Cindy Hanson, who plans to retire at the end of the school year. Robison is no stranger to the classroom, having taught in several schools before moving to a curriculum-specialist position. She then served as principal of Crescent Elementary before becoming the leader of Midvale Middle in 2017. She was the first principal to serve in the newly rebuilt middle school, which was constructed with funds from a $250 million bond approved by voters in 2010. In 2022, Robison’s efforts to bolster achievement, increase attendance rates, and create positive learning environments at Midvale Middle were reasons she was named the Utah Middle School Principal of the Year by the Utah Association of Secondary School Principals. While at Midvale, she’s led initiatives to boost Midvale Middle’s levels of achievement. With extra funding from the Board of Education, Robison reduced class sizes and provided after-school programming three days a week. This resulted in Midvale students maintaining math skills during the COVID-19 year — and increasing their reading-skill attainment. Robison said she’s excited to focus on the strengths of each CSD middle school. There are unique needs at each middle school community, Robison said, and she looks forward to working with principals and faculty to address those issues.

School Improvements Finances  

The Board of Education reviewed a tentative financing plan to pay for proposed renovations and upgrades at Jordan and Corner Canyon high schools and Eastmont Middle. Business Administrator Leon Wilcox proposes the Board, acting as a Local Building Authority, approve a resolution on Feb. 20, allowing the issuance of lease-revenue bonds of up to $43 million. This would trigger a 30-day contest period. If the timeline goes as expected, a competitive bond sale would be held April 11 and the sale process would close April 24. If the Board moves this direction, CSD would need to generate new tax revenue to meet an anticipated 15- to 21-year repayment schedule, Wilcox said. The result would be approximately $40 per year increase on the average-priced home in CSD, which is nearly $650,000. A truth-in-taxation hearing would need to be held in August, Wilcox said. Architects are drafting blueprints for the projects so work can begin as soon as the process starts to obtain the financing. Wilcox said two proposed projects— additions to Hillcrest’s track and the relocation of Transportation Department fuel tanks—will not be paid for with lease-revenue bond money but with ongoing property taxes and other sources.

Strategic Plan Update

A major challenge faced by Canyons schools is the influx of multilingual students, Paula Logan, Federal and State Programs Director, told the Board of Education. As part of an update to the Board on the “Access and Opportunity” focus area of the Strategic Plan, Logan said some 700 “newcomers,” an umbrella term for foreign-born students who have recently arrived in the United States, have enrolled in CSD school since the first week of school. In addition to instructional supports and training on how to provide high-quality teaching for English learners, CSD seeks to automate a newcome notification system, provide ease of translation for teachers, and strengthening and aligning Alternative Language Services. An additional hurdle to helping multi-lingual students and their families is poverty and homelessness. Logan said additional personnel are needed to handle the numbers of students who qualify for services under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Currently, the CSD homeless-student liaison has some 2,000 students on her caseload, Logan said. Additionally, the committee is working with Career and Technical Education and secondary-school counselors to better understand CTE programs and pathways and has engaged in discussions with the University of Utah to re-launch the Step to the U program in Canyons high schools. Logan also said plans to expand Teen Centers meet the strategic initiative of the focus area. Centers are at or will be built at Hillcrest. Brighton, Diamond Ridge and Jordan high schools. Opportunities for special education programs, such as the Life Skills Academy and Unified Special Education sports, also meet the plan’s strategic initiatives. Logan said future discussions will target how to address the failure rates among CSD students.

School Fees

The annual review of school fees in Canyons secondary schools has started amidst an internal audit of school fees and student-travel costs. CSD Accounting Director Daniel Davis said the District’s Audit Committee will receive the report when it’s completed later this spring. State rules requires Canyons to conduct a review of proposed school fees, fundraising policies, fee waivers, and donations before a schedule for the coming year is adopted. The District must have two public hearings on the proposed schedule for the 2024-2025 school year before an April 1 adoption deadline. Davis said the proposed fee schedule keeps the high school fee aggregate at $5,000. The middle school aggregate is proposed to stay at $500.  No student was assessed fees in excess of those amounts so far this year, according to financial records. The Board request additional information about the proposed increased fees in several activities.

Legislative Update

The $161 million spending plan recommended Tuesday, Feb. 6 by Utah’s Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee is the equivalent of the state’s entire education stabilization fund, said CSD’s External Relations Director Charlie Evans who updated the Board on the status of education-related bills and budget priorities being weighed by the Utah Legislature. Among the expenditures prioritized by the committee is $50.5 million for a nascent voucher program, the Utah Fits All Scholarship. These subcommittee priorities advance now to the Executive Appropriations Committee, which approves base budgets and appropriations bills prior to passage by the full Legislature.

Graduation Ceremonies

The Board of Education and Administration decided the lineup of speakers from the Board of Education and Administration at commencement rites for the Class of 2024 at Canyons high schools and special programs.

Consent Agenda

The Board of Education approved the Consent Agenda, including the minutes of the Jan. 9, 2024 meeting of the Board; minutes for the Jan. 23, 2024 meeting of the Board; the hire and termination report; purchasing bids; student-overnight travel requests; December financial reports; the approval of Canyons Education Foundation Board members, and an administrative appointment.

 School Highlights

Students are being drawn to the newly rebuilt Union Middle, according to Principal Brenda McCann. Enrollment has reached 900 at the school, which was recently rebuilt with funds from the $283 million bond approved by voters in 2017. An exciting part of the design of the building is the open spaces were student can gather to do homework, play games, socialize, and build a community. McCann said a new Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program gives teachers the chance to write positive feedback about a student on a card. Those cards are sent to the Front Office, and administrators then call the student to the office to read the positive remarks from the teacher. Teachers also are encouraged to write notes on cards that are mailed by office assistants to parents, she said.

Patron Comments

The following patron addressed the Board during Patron Comment. Recordings of the patron’s remarks can be accessed on BoardDocs.

• Betty Shaw
• Katie Nelson

Superintendent, Business Administrator Reports

Superintendent Dr. Rick Robins noted the inclusive and fun environment at the Unified Special Education basketball tournament on Monday at Corner Canyon High.

Mr. Leon Wilcox thanked administrators who are retiring this year, including School Performance Director Cindy Hanson, Hillcrest High Principal Greg Leavitt, and Assistant Principals Roberto Jimenez and Jodi Roberts. He informed the Board about discussions the Administration has started with insurance provider PEHP, the operations of which have been hindered by a new computer system. He noted the high school orientations for freshmen.

Board of Education Member Reports

Ms. Karen Pedersen reported on attending Superintendent Listening Tour stops and the Unified Special Olympics hoops competition. She congratulated Hanson on her retirement, and thanked Logan for her report. She noted the schools, such as Peruvian Park and Alta View, that have started honoring teachers on a weekly basis.

Mrs. Nancy Tingey attended STEAM and STEM Nights, thanked the administration for the meeting’s reports, and stated an opinion that a bill about providing merit pay to teachers may not recognize the great work being done by all teachers. She thanked Hanson for her work in the middle schools, which patrons said in 2009 should be an improvement focus of CSD.

Mr. Mont Millerberg said a survey done by the Board in 2009 indicated parents wanted the new district to focus on middle schools. Hanson has been part of the focus on strengthening our middle schools, he said. He also said he’s “incredibly excited” to have Robison as the School Performance Director over middle schools. He lauded the Canyons Education Foundation for giving Innovation Grants to educators. Mr. Millerberg honored Ms. Amanda Kraft, a fourth-grade teacher, for being named KUTV’s first Teacher of the Month.

Mrs. Amanda Oaks congratulated Corner Canyon High’s cheer squad for winning their second consecutive state championship in competitive cheer, reported on attending the Joint Legislative Committee for the Utah School Boards Association, thanked the legislative affairs team for their work on Capitol Hill, and noted student trips and performances at Abravanel Hall.

Mr. Andrew Edtl visited with student councils and expressed appreciation for middle school teachers, administrators, counselors, and staff for making the schools welcoming and inclusive, especially for incoming sixth graders. He congratulated Robison on her appointment.

Mrs. Amber Shill thanked Dr. Robins for doing the Superintendent Listening Tour and the personnel who planned the South Valley Unified Special Olympics basketball tournament. She thanked Hanson for her work, congratulated Robison on her appointment, and expressed appreciation for Roberts.  She thanked Student Wellness Services Director Dr. Brian McGill and his team for providing counseling supports to the Alta High community following the unexpected death of a student.