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

Purchase of eBay Property via Lease-Revenue Bonds

Canyons District’s plans to transform eBay’s former regional headquarters into a learning center geared toward training students for jobs in Utah’s burgeoning high-tech sector — as well as other industries in need of skilled workers — moved closer to reality on Tuesday night. The Board of Education, acting as a Local Building Authority, voted in favor of a resolution allowing the issuance and sale of up to $50 million in lease-revenue bonds to pay for the purchase of the 36-acre eBay campus and possible renovations to the 215,000-square-foot facility. Business Administrator Leon Wilcox said the current lease-revenue bond payments from 2021 issuance and 2024 issuance will be approximately $9.4 million through 2031. The payment schedule could fluctuate based on economic factors. CSD plans to invest proceeds from the sale of property already owned by Canyons to pay back the debt incurred to purchase the property through the lease-revenue bonds. Depending on these and other various factors, the District may need to generate increased tax revenue to repay the bonds. This could result in an estimated $20-$25 increase on the averaged-priced home in Canyons, which is valued at about $703,000.

Title IX Update

Canyons Director of High Schools Tom Sherwood told the Board of Education about what CSD is doing to meet Title IX requirements by increasing opportunities in girls sports, seeking input on future sanctioned sports and activities, and maintaining equity in funding and access to facilities. Overall participation in high school athletics is growing, and Canyons is well within acceptable ranges for its proportion of boys and girls who are participating in athletics and activities, Sherwood said. Among other steps CSD is taking to expand female participation in sports are: 

• Each middle school has an assistant principal who will serve as Title IX liaison and work with high schools to promote female participation in sports.
• A poster program will be put into place to promote participation in high school athletics with a special emphasis on girls sports. 
• Every four years, Canyons surveys female students on their interest in different sports.

Sherwood also presented draft versions of a new athletic-guideline manual and a webpage for Canyons high school sports and activities where students and parents can go for information on training for coaches, UHSAA participation rules, and calendars of tryouts, auditions, practices, and competitions. 

Constitutional Amendment A

The Board of Education discussed the proposed Constitutional Amendment A. This measure to amend the state constitution will be on the Nov. 5 general-election ballot.  Voters were encouraged to educate themselves about the proposed amendment and participate in the election 

Strategic Plan Update

To aid the delivery of high-quality instruction in every Canyons classroom, Canyons provided more 560 hours of professional-development opportunities for CSD educators, said Instructional Supports Director Dr. Amber Roderick, who provided an update to the Board about the “High-Quality Learning” focus area of the Board of Education’s Strategic Plan. The Instructional Guides that assist teachers with content and state-approved standards have been accessed 1.73  million times. Dr. Roderick Landward also said some 4,800 kindergarten- through eighth-grade students last year participated in extended-learning opportunities, and $1.4 million in new grants were sought and received. 

Student Advisory Council 

Twenty-four students from all Canyons high schools, including the alternative Diamond Ridge High and Entrada Adult High School, make up the newly empaneled 2024-2025 Student Advisory Council, which provides a student perspective to the Board of Education on policies and proposals. This is the first year that students from Entrada Adult High have served on the council since the inception of the student group in 2013. The students on the council are:

• Alta: Tessa Osborne, Ty Dutcher, Kason Seamans, Brian Curtis
• Brighton: Makenna Smith, Tyler Olsen, AJ (Annabelle) Stanfield, John Roberts
• Corner Canyon: Kaiya Sharp, Ava Johnson, Chryshaun Lee, Saryn Kirkham
• Hillcrest: Abhinav Mishra, Jocelyn Martinez, Andrea Contreras, Ava Townsend
• Jordan: Olivia Judd, Thys Oppermann, Katie Philippe, Hunter Rudkin
• Diamond Ridge: Victoria “Tori” Farnsworth, Belia Ishim
• Entrada Adult High: Altezza “Tezza” Sayakhammy, Maria Uribe Garcia

School Highlights

Now in its third year, the 630-student Glacier Hills Elementary is thriving academically and culturally, according to Principal Julie Winfree. The school was created when CSD combined the Bell View and Edgemont to form one strong, united school community. CSD used money from the voter-approved 2017 bond to build a new Glacier Hills, which also houses ACC and Youth Academy unites. “We are more than just one school,” said Winfree of the home of the Yetis.“We are one community.” 

Patron Comment

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

• Timmette Winkler
• Ashlee Benns
• Dr. David Gatti
• Dennis Lagodimos
• Dawn Alley
• Jannett Burciaga
• James Longstaff

Canyons Strong Recognitions

The following were recognized for their achievements:

• East Sandy teacher and Sandy City Councilmember Alison Stroud for her engagement in the community.
• All CSD custodians for the Oct. 2 National Custodian Appreciation Day.
• Faculty, staff, and administrators who contributed to Bell Vista Elementary’s federal designation as a National Blue Ribbon School.
• Brighton teacher Derek Chandler, who won first place in the Veteran Affairs Veteran’s Creative Arts Competition.
• Brighton High teacher Aaron Hadfield for presenting a workshop titled “Simulation Method-Mock Elections” at the Sept. 14 Utah Council for Social Studies.
• Hillcrest High teachers Josh Long who will direct a show on London’s West End.
• All CSD principals for their hard work and commitment for National Principals Month throughout October.

Consent Agenda

The Board of Education approved the Consent Agenda, including minutes for Sept. 17, 2024 meeting of the Canyons Board of Education; hire and termination reports; student overnight travel requests; purchasing bids; LEA specific licenses and endorsements; LAND Trust and TSSP Amendments for Union Middle and Sunrise Elementary.

Superintendent, Business Administrator Reports

Business Administrator Leon Wilcox expressed appreciate in advance of the Oct. 2 National Custodians Appreciation Day.

Board Reports

Mrs. Karen Pedersen reported on updates to the Canyoneering Academy, visits to schools and programs, and the safety and security efforts being made at all schools to keep students and employees safe.

Mrs. Kris Millerberg noted the hard work teachers put into preparations for Parent-Teacher Conferences coupled with the parent voluntarism to make meals and snacks for teachers over conference nights.  She also expressed appreciation for the Jordan High parents who spoke during Patron Comment, asking to work with CSD as partners in maintaining safe schools.

Mrs. Amanda Oaks thanked Jordan High parents for speaking out during Patron Comment about legislative juvenile justice reform.  She welcomed Dr. Robins’ ideas to bolster safety on campuses. In addition, she noted the success of Parent-Teacher Conferences.

Mr. Andrew Edtl thanked educators for the relationships they’ve built with families via such events as Parent-Teacher Conferences. He applauded the passion of Jordan High parents who spoke during Patron Comment about school safety and juvenile-justice reform.  In reference to legislators, he said it’s not a solution “to tell us to solve the problem and then take away our funding.”

Mrs. Nancy Tingey reported on attending the Canyons Education Foundation’s Mont L. Millerberg Classic, the Jordan District vs. Canyons District Unified Soccer tourney, and a celebration to cheer Bella Vista’s designation as a National Blue Ribbon School. She encouraged those who send their children to public education to participate in the Nov. 5 election, during which voters will decide on a constitutional amendment about education founding. 

Mrs. Holly Neibaur encouraged District schools to continue creating spaces and programs where children feel included. 

President Shill thanked custodians for their work, lauded Bella Vista for earning the National Blue Ribbon School status from the U.S. Department of Education, thanked Brighton’s Aaron Hadfield for presenting at the state social-studies conference on simulation-learning, she pledged to advocate for juvenile-justice reform and strict compulsory education laws.  President Shill thanked Jordan High Principal Dr. Bruce Eschler for his work following the tragic death of a student.