Welcome to the Jordan School District Board of Education study session. Today is Tuesday, June 9th, 2026, and we are grateful that you're joining us. Um, present with me this evening are all members of the board of education. Yes, all members. All of a sudden I was like, wait, is everyone here? Um, as well as our superintendent, associate superintendent, business administrator, and board attorney. Um, we are going to begin this evening with our study session. So, we'll start with agenda item 1A, which is a continuation of a discussion on changes to social studies graduation credits. We will turn it to Dr. Godfrey. >> This is a continuation, as you said, of previous discussions around adjusting graduation requirements potentially to accommodate a um course newly required by the legislature. This impacts incoming ninth graders for next year. So this is just an opportunity for the board to uh give final have final discussion before giving final direction. >> Okay. >> So just to catch everyone up with where we left this discussion item off last. Um we have a few options before us. We need to increase the uh civics and US government course from a half year to a full year. Um in prior discussions, the board did have a vote to um go with the 3.5 requirement for social studies as defined by USB. Um, so that means that if there are if we're going to revisit that possibility of going to a four credit, it would have to come from a board member on the prevailing side of that vote. Um, and the questions that we have before us right now are how to divide up one of the two fullyear courses that we currently teach as a fullear course. So either world history or geography. Um and I think we left the conversation with a couple of questions. Board members had asked how if it would be possible to divide world history into two um classes. So modern and ancient history. And one of those would be required, one would not. and whether we would be able to meet all of the criteria required by the state. So, let's just pick up with that question and then I'm sure we'll have more. >> I'm not sure who to ask that of. >> We had some reactions on either side to that concept. And uh the way that would work is that you could divide that class into uh semesters and then for a small portion of that course cover. So it could be an ancient or modern emphasis and in that class you would do a review or cover the standards that you weren't going to emphasize. So you could cover all of the standards in a semester and it could be an emphasis on ancient or an emphasis on modern. So you'd cover all the standards but you would cover them in greater depth if you were taking [clears throat] you know based on where the emphasis was being placed. >> So each one would summarize the other. So if you have a modern, you would focus primarily on modern but a small unit on what you missed in ancient. If you did ancient, you would focus on ancient and a small unit on what you could take if you took modern. >> That's right. >> So, if they didn't take the second one, they would at least be exposed to the material. >> That's right. And if it were Yeah. And depending on what you took, it would be a preview for the upcoming course or a summary of the previous course. And that's just one way that you could do it. Um, there are lots of different ways we could talk about that, but the bottom line answer to the question is yes, we could fulfill all requirements if we were to put that into a semester. There are arguments for and against, but we could make that work. Before we get too far into this discussion, in our May 12th meeting, Lisa made a motion to increase social studies credits from 3.5 to 4 and to reduce or decrease electives from 8 to 7 and a half. And and we eventually we we discussed that and we eventually voted on it. The vote came in three in favor of that motion and four against that motion. And what President George just mentioned is that if we wanted to deviate from that, it would require someone who voted against that motion. Um, and I want to vote. I don't know if this is the place to make the motion because we're going to be voting on it apparently in the next spot. >> There's no need to vote in this mo in this meeting cuz we're taking action in that meeting. Yeah, >> I want to hear him. >> Yeah, there was I I'm sure all of us have done a lot of study and research and I've I've talked to several of you about it. I found an interesting document actually that I wanted to share. It's on it's on the USB website. It's called current courses meeting the criteria for graduation requirements 2526 and it's dated last December. they discuss or they they list the state requirements for graduation, three credits of social studies, and then in in a bolded section here, 3.5 credits beginning with the grade 10 cohort in school year 2627, which is due to HB381. And then down lower it, it says 5.5 credits of electives, which is the current state requirement, 5.5 electives. And USB is suggesting a reduction in electives from 5.5 to five credits beginning with the grade 10 cohort in 2627. So there is some guidance apparently from USB that we're going that that they're suggesting to comply with HB381. The state is increasing from 3 to 3.5 social studies and reducing electives from 5.5 to 5. That's one of the reasons why I would vote in favor of that is because there is some some guidance from USB. Another reason is based on a few conversations I've had with people and my my children and their friends. It it sounds like a a large portion of seniors in our school district take language arts and then they fill the rest of their schedule with electives. My son and some of his friends I've noticed had had a difficult time this year trying to find some electives that interested them interested them. So eight electives means that each student between the grades of 10 and and 12 will be taking between eight and 16 different classes. If it's a if it's a halfyear class, if if you just take all halfyear classes as electives, that's 16 different classes. Seems a little excessive to me. And the state's 5.5 requirement kind of backs that up as well. Another thing is I I personally think that social studies rises to the level of a class or a or a subject where parents andor adults, board members, staff need to step in and make that particular decision. Um, and I know there's some disagreement on on whether or not the adults should step in and make that choice or leave it up to the students. Um, but I think part of the reason why I think that is because ancient and modern history for a lot of people rise to the level of scripture, very important and sacredly held information. Um parts parts of both ancient and modern are taught in our churches, our society and our culture as a nation was built on men and women who understood history, both modern and ancient and both religious and secular history. And and I think adults can see this a lot easier than high school students. Um this is the type of knowledge that that I think has to be passed on. It also speaks to the value of the knowledge gained. Um knowledge is a spectrum. There's some knowledge that's important or more important than other types of knowledge. And I and I and and I think that the value gained from a a drawing or an art or an auto body or in any of the electives. I think the the value gained from that knowledge pales in comparison to the value gained from a full year of world history. Um, so yeah, that's that that's kind of my decision-making process and why I I would be in favor now of of increasing social studies credits to four and reducing electives to 7.5. >> Thank you, Dr. Robinson. >> Never mind. I thought there was clarification that I wanted to make with Brian and he made it at the end. >> Okay. Thanks. I I wholeheartedly agree with you. By the way, >> Dr. Godfrey, >> thank you. I just wanted to uh for those listening make one give a little bit of additional information on what you shared and that is that I don't want the folks to have the impression that elective is just one general category and that there are just elective courses that there are electives within certain categories that are required. fine arts, CTE, other requirements that are a part of that. So that's not um that's just in addition to what you shared. It's not in contrast to what you shared. >> Yeah. >> I have a couple of questions. Um so I am thinking about the 24 credit exemption diploma. Um, so if a student is credit deficient and they are going to get their diploma from either Valley or King's Peak, um, is there any sort of indication on the diploma that it was a different track taken to graduate? Like is there a sticker or something on there that says this was an exception? I don't know [laughter] >> what what kind of exception do you mean? >> Well, I've I understand that other districts who offer that pathway have like it's somehow indicated in their diploma like it says a 24 credit high school diploma or something in some way. I've heard that that's happening at Davis. I've heard of a couple of charters that do that. I was just curious if is it the exact same thing? Your diploma is just a diploma no matter how many credits you receive it with. >> I believe that a diploma is a diploma, but if it's from Kings Peak, it requires 24 credits. If it's from Valley, it requires 24 credits. And if it's from one of our six comprehensive high schools, it requires 27. >> Okay? So there's not a different type of diploma at any given school, but different schools require different number a different number of credits in order to graduate from that school. >> Makes sense. Okay. So then a follow-up question to that. So let's imagine that we were to pass a four credit um [clears throat] social studies requirement and a student failed a quarter or two of either geography or world history. Um, would that student still be eligible for a 24 credit diploma >> if they transferred to Kings Peak or to Valley? They would be eligible for a 24 credit diploma >> even if we had a four standard. Okay, those were my questions. >> Now, that would mean that they would still have to pass that particular course. So within the 24 credits, you have to have a certain number of credits in each area. So just 24 credits all its own isn't enough. It's the right credits within those 24. >> USB right, not the Jordan, right? It's the Jordan, right? Because if we followed USB, we would have 3.5 credits in social studies and but we would depending on what the board votes on, you have your own because the the state requires 24 credits. So the 27 that you require are set by you as a school board. So if you wanted to change that and say all of our schools graduate at 24 credits, you could do that. you you can't require less than the state does, but you can require more and you currently require more. >> And I don't know that I'm interested in that. My my curiosity was I heard concern that if we required a more rigorous course of study, having an extra half year of social studies, that it could potentially delay seniors from graduation because it's harder. >> It it would likely reduce graduation rates. Ultimately, yeah. >> But if that same senior said, "I'm okay if my diploma says it's from Valley. I'm going to transfer." Then do they have a 3.5 or a four? >> They have a four. >> Still Jordan. >> So a 24 credit exemption here because it's it's still it's Jordan, but it's a 24 credit diploma. So it's not Jordan. So, you're saying it would have to come out of electives? >> I'm sorry. A 24 credit diploma would not be Jordan. >> Well, I mean, Jordan's diplomas are 27 credits. If I go on and look at what's required, it's 27 credits >> unless you graduate from Kings Peak or Valley. >> So, they have their own set >> that the board >> Well, it's 24 credits. >> It's specific, >> but there are the same requirements within those 24. So we take away from electives >> you don't prescribe more than 24 credits worth but you have to get a total of 27 credits. >> Okay. >> So so are you >> is the question what is required for graduation with 24 credits? What courses are required? Are you asking whether someone who didn't [clears throat] get 27 credits and didn't get all of their social studies credits could simply transfer to Valley and not have to make up any >> social studies and graduate. >> Yeah, >> that is that is not what would happen. They would have to make up the social studies. >> You have to have four social studies credits >> if if that's what the board chooses. They would have to make up the social studies. Okay. Because the total requirement, there's some slack built in there. You have to have 27 to graduate, but all 27 aren't prescribed. >> So, if you graduate from a school with 24 credits, more of your credits are prescribed. If that makes sense. My question or clarifying question is that if the state is requiring the 3.5 in social studies and if we decide to do four, will the diplomas coming from Kings Peak and Valley only have to do the 3.5? No, there are there are the separate questions that's this speaks to the point that I was making after Bar Mr. Barnett's comments. There are elective credits, but there are specific elective credits. So, you might have enough elective credits, but you failed your fine arts elective. So you need to make that up even though overall you have enough credits. So it's not just do you have 24 credits or 27 credits. It's have you taken all the courses and passed all the courses that are specifically required within those credits. So if someone failed a semester of world history, let's say they failed ancient just, you know, they started out rough but things got better as the year went on. So they they failed the first semester, so they have those two quarters to make up. And they have 24.5 credits. They could transfer to Valley and graduate as long as they meet all of the specific requirements within those 24, which includes if you make this change that was proposed, four years of social studies. And that's why we believe graduation rates will decline because even at the 24 there's there's a higher expectation. There's less flexibility within that. And I'm not saying that's good or bad. That's just the I I think a natural outcome of increasing the credits to four. And for those listening, the current requirement is three. We have it at 3.5. the state requirement increases to 3.5. The board previously voted to stay at 3.5. There's discussion now about moving up to four. So if you move up to four, you have to get four credits to graduate. Whether you graduate from a school that issues a diploma with 24 credits or whether you graduate from a school that issues a diploma at 27. >> Why do we think >> why is that different? Wh why why do we think graduation rates will decline >> requiring more? >> No, it's still 27 credits, right? >> Because it's it's because there's less there's less flexibility because there's there's a greater requirement on academic on on the social studies course. This is from counselors who we talked with counselors about whether they felt the graduation rates would go down and they're the ones who go over um go over student transcripts to determine whether they're going to graduate. We also had our our um assessment group look at it and look at the stats on Now that's not a sure thing. That's that's but that's the feeling from counselors and from our assessment department >> and and is it is are you essentially saying that that a half credit of world civ is a more difficult class to pass than an elective and that's the reason why there will be a is that essentially what we're saying >> I think that when you have the flexibility to choose choose something. I taught language arts. Um, when you're teaching language arts, no matter what grade level you teach it, everyone's taking it and because it's required. So, you have students who are required to take it who may not have generally gravitated toward that subject. So yes, when you're when when you're teaching a course that every student must take, there are it may be less of a fit for some students than it is for others. So it's not that an elective is easier. It's sometimes just the matchup of the student with the course and the nature of the work that is done within that course. And part of the reason for electives is to force students to take courses that they might not otherwise explore. It's kind of a last chance to try some new things depending on what you plan on doing after high school. You have an opportunity to do discover how to do things and learn some things that you might not learn otherwise. So I don't mean to suggest that electives are only things that kids are already good at, but they're drawn to them in some way. So, I don't think I think it's it's based on counselor feedback and it's based on an analysis of graduation statistics, those who didn't graduate, what credits they were missing that suggest that increasing the social studies requirement would reduce graduation rates, which when you talk about rates, it means individual students, fewer individual students graduating. So, I want to talk about the big picture, but also the impact on individuals. But again, that's not an argument against it. That's just an explanation of what the analysis is that the outcome might be. But if the board feels that that's where you want to place the emphasis >> as you discussed earlier, then then we place the emphasis and of course we're going to keep working very hard to be sure that students graduate. But it's kind of like the maybe this is a strange analogy, but where the state used to have the 990 requirement and the 180 requirement. You had to have 990 hours of instruction and 180 days of instruction. And if you missed either mark, then you weren't providing the instruction required and you could have a reduction in in funding from the state. With graduation, it's the same thing. You have to have 24 or 27 credits and you have and those credits need to be in these areas. So, you may have 24 credits, but not the right 24 credits. And so, you need to make up on academic courses or on elective courses or that sort of thing. I don't know if I'm explaining it well. So, if there are other questions, please continue because it's an important core concept that we need to think about. So, you could have more than 24 credits, but you didn't pass math in your sophomore year and so you have to take those credits. Or in your senior year, your first quarter, you didn't pass English, so you've got to take that again. We used to call it English before it was language arts. So that's that's the trick is it's not just the number of credits, it's which credits did you take and that's why counselors are analyzing individual student schedules so that they get broad experience so they get a foundational base in subjects that we feel everyone ought to study to this particular level and then make sure that they get across the finish line with um meeting all the expectations of portrait of a graduate that go beyond just test scores and academics. I mean that's a tough term to use because it sounds like I mean everything is academic in its own way. So anyway that's a longer answer but it's a broad rich experience for students. That's why there are various requirements. Um so that when they graduate they have these these skills and dispositions and foundational knowledge that that the state has determined and that we have as a district and you as a board have determined is essential coming out of high school. >> Dr. Robinson, >> now I can speak. Um, President George and board member Barnett kind of set the table for what I want to explore. The our state lawmakers have said this is what it takes to graduate from a a school in Utah and the USBA has written a policy for that. I think it's a noble thing that Jordan school district said, "Hey, that's great, but a Jordan district diploma deserves this." and and yet we have this other group in the Jordan district that has a different set of expectations. I believe in high expectations and high flexibility. So I mentioned in one of our previous conversations, if the state's requiring 24, why are we requiring 27? That uh requires some hardship for students. It also is a bigger price tag for taxpayers. And so I started to explore and I didn't look at all the districts, but I did find Alpine district that has a way for a student in a regular high school. I can't remember if there's 27 or 28, but similar to ours, but they can apply for a 24. And so what I would love is us have that high expectations but have a way for the student to apply for less social studies or less electives and still get that diploma still be able to walk but they've gone through this different process of requesting that to be gone. That really helps our people who want to graduate early. I was a student that was not interested in hanging around in a classroom my senior year. My kids have loved it is really important to them. Every kid is so different. I just think there is a way that we can have high expectations require that. But if I'm an AP student and that social studies is getting in my way, I can petition to not take that social studies so I can take my AP. Or maybe I want to do pottery instead. Well, that's fine. But there should be a way for us to say, especially since we have in the district already this two standard kind of thing, there should be a way for someone going to our general public education and high schools to say, "Yeah, I would like to have the lower standard so I can have a little bit more flexibility in my schedule to do what I really want to do because we are requiring more than the state's asking." And that's a noble thing and that's a good thing and I like that. But at the same time, I wouldn't want every kid to go down there. At the same time, could we have the high expectation, but then build in some kind of a flexibility that a counselor or whatever could wave that if it's petitioned by parents and students and they have a good reason. As I understand, Alpine's not everybody just gets a stamp if they apply. There is some kind of metrics that they they need to meet. So that's what I would be in favor of having that high expectation but have a way for them to petition out of it. >> Hey um Miss Wood, >> I'm sorry to put you on the spot. >> I um I have had some questions my mind. So as we look at the 27 credits that we required to graduate, >> yes, >> are eight electives required or is that up to eight electives? I can give you a scenario if that would help. >> Eight electives are required at our comprehensive schools. Five electives are required at Kings Peak and Valley and that's how they make up the difference. So, I couldn't, for example, take a I could take a social studies course on World War II and that would be considered an elective. Yes, we could draw a really cool ven diagram of things that count could count as a core class, but also count as an elective because you've already taken all the core classes that were required. But yes, sure. >> I could take trigonometry not required and that would count towards my elective. >> Yes. I don't know if we offer it with that title any longer. Yes, we don't offer it with that title, but I miss the the trees, the geometry, the trigonometry. Yes. But but yes, you could you could take you could take >> calculus >> a Shakespeare class as a senior. That would count as language arts, but you're also taking language arts. So Shakespeare then counts as an elective. >> But I could choose to take four science credits even though three are required and that extra credit would be an elective. >> That's right. I want to take environmental science AP even though I filled all my science credits. Absolutely. So, a student could take as rigorous of courses as they want with those eight elective credits minus the fine arts that's required or this or that. >> That's right. And and and that's an important point because we keep talking about >> which [clears throat] is important to talk about as well what's the bare minimum >> but that flexibility also gives students the opportunity for concurrent AP CTE taking classes that earn them a license that you know there so there's there's yeah when you change the blend of courses someone can go to a 24 credit school that reduc reduces the elective requirement, but it doesn't re change the the core requirements. >> So, if I know I want to go to college and I'm going to major in mathematics, I may choose to take more in high school that's required. You may or you might say, "I know that the school I want to attend gives me credit toward credit's the wrong word, gives me a higher score toward admission if I've taken a certain number of AP or concurrent classes. So, I'm going to be sure I stack those sophomore and junior year so that and ninth grade so that by the time I'm applying in the fall of my senior year, I have all the classes on my transcript that I need in order to meet the specific expectations of that school. Some schools emphasize a foreign language. So, then you might choose a foreign language as a part of that. So, >> thank you. And I just want to punctuate the conversation here where we're saying this is what we are requiring, not what we're offering. We're not changing anything in what we're offering our students. I personally would much rather have students have the burden of choice. I don't know which class I want to take than the burden of maybe not graduating. And forefront in my mind are our most vulnerable students who may struggle with attendance or passing classes, who need to do credit recovery, who may not have the support at home to transfer to another school, or who may really benefit from these CTE or other courses that will help them thrive in the real world, giving them every opportunity for those who are not collegebound. And so I'm concerned, as much as I love social studies, of increasing the requirement with those students in mind. Dean, >> could the board um uh make a change have a different social studies requirement um like change policy to have different social studies requirements for um graduating from Kings Peak or Valley versus graduating from one of the comprehensive high schools. So, for example, could the board um decide that with a 24 credit diploma from Valley or Kings Peak, there would only be uh half a credit of world geography or half a credit of um world history. whereas um from our comprehensive high schools it would be um four social studies credits. Is that something the board could do? >> Yes, you could. >> Thanks. >> I added myself to the list. I'm not skipping. Um, I'm just curious, are we aware of any other district in the state who is requiring only a half year of world history? >> Yes, many of them are only are requiring only half a year of world history. >> And do they divide it in the way that we have proposed before us? The ancient >> they just do all they just do world history. >> Okay. >> In one semester. >> In one semester. been trying to ask around but everyone I've spoken to has done it in geography so I just wanted to see if there was a anywhere that is doing that okay Dr. Godfrey. >> Yes. I have to remember when I raised my hand which thing we were talking about. Oh, it was um it was about having a way of graduating at 24 credits and just choosing to graduate at 24 from a comprehensive high school instead of 27. Um, I'm just I'm a little worried about that because I don't want it to become kind of a secret menu where I want my diploma animal style. You know, it's like, well, I because I worry about access and people being aware of that option 24 27. And once it spreads, the 27 is hard to hold when you know that you just have to apply for a 24. And I've just seen that with lots of other processes that once there's a plan B, it will mess with your plan A. And that's okay. We can do that. It's not an argument against it. I'm I'm just I would want to be sure that if we choose to do that, we just make sure that there's equal access. There was a time, as an example, where driver education driver education has always been subject to fee waiver. But there was a period of time 20 years ago when high school principles misunderstood that this would not be a charge to them and their accounts if someone was on fee waiver for driver ed. it would be covered by the district. So, no one wanted to talk about it. No one wanted to say anything. Don't tell anyone that it's fee waveable. As a result, not everyone had access to that because there was, you know, this confusion about how it worked. And I just worry that we have difficulty communicating all the opportunities out there and processes already. But if we add that, that would be fine. And we say, parents, you can choose the 27 or the 24. But I would just want it to be really clear that that's an option for everyone and you just need to choose your path. So again, it's just I I' I'd want that to be a part of our conversations with families to say the board wants you to have flexibility and you can choose a 24 or a 27. And to your earlier question, uh, Miss George, we could have different types of diplomas at schools. So you can customize things. You can say these are the specific requirements for Valley and for King's Peak. Not only are we we going to require fewer hours or credits rather, we're going to require different courses. And so you you can customize this however you wish to. So, sorry about that. >> I'm not sure, but Bingham has an enhanced diploma. Do you know how you get an enhanced diploma? At least they had some covers that said enhanced and some that didn't. >> On some of the covers said enhanced >> where I saw it, it was like when they list the awards students could earn. One of them at some schools was an enhanced diploma. Is that what you're talking about? [clears throat] >> Yeah, there there are some things that schools do to reward certain or to to uh highlight certain pathways that students have chosen or that sort of thing. we could give them some for the higher pathway. I just again I want for me high expectations but just high flexibility you know I don't want our high expectations to make a kid not graduate for instance but at the same time I don't want to lower my expectations so that kid can graduate and the other kid doesn't challenge himself. >> More succinctly I guess the way I would say it is that's fine. I I don't I don't have a problem specifically with that, but the outcome will be earlier graduation. People will look and say, "Oh, he's doing it with 24 from my school. How's he doing that?" I'd rather that we just make it really clear to everyone if we chose to do that. >> But my guess is if we were to audit all of our graduates, most of them are going over 27. You They don't really stop at 27, say that's it. they fill out their schedule. I mean, there's a few people like my daughter who just like what what's the minimum I got to get? I mean, she's a great student, but she really didn't want to be there more than 27. So, she took like a, you know, wake up early classes and stuff like that, which was great cuz that was a pathway that she wanted. And she's an excellent student doing really good in college. But, um, I would expect that a lot of students just say, "Hey, got to fill my schedule up." And so they're far exceeding 27, especially if they're not involved in like LDS seminary, which takes four credits away from them. Um, that's my guess, but >> you can get 31. >> Yeah. And and I think some do. >> Mr. Stanford, >> I I have heard throughout this process continually this idea that seniors take they they have more room in their schedule than they know what to do with that. They can't find classes that they like. That it's easy to take away an elective because we're burning through electives. And I would just like to pitch the idea that that is not true for all students. And one of the group of students we're going to hurt is the high achieving student who chooses classes that's in their behav in their be benefit that if we take away from the electives they won't be able to take. I had my previous son who graduated took five AP classes his senior year and two concurrent enroll classes. He did not waste his electives. He filled his schedule with high achieving student I mean AP classes and if he had had one more requirement of a half half year in that set he would not have been able to take one of those full years of AP and he he would have lost out on an AP credit. I have a son who is going into his senior year who is following the same path. At first, his thought was, "Well, I'm just going to load up my schedule with easy classes." He says, "I'm not going to do that." And he has packed his schedule with AP classes because he wants to graduate from high school with college credit. It's easy because right now, everyone's advocating for social studies and no one's advocating for the electives because we're not necessarily telling them we're going to take that particular class away. But the result is there are a whole lot of people here out there who are not here to advocate for themselves because they don't realize the class they won't be able to take if we require an additional half year of social studies. And so I would advocate for them and I would have I w I I can here to tell you they would have suffered if they were under the guidelines of increasing social study to four years. So I would plead that this board would remember not all the stories you keep hearing about seniors who don't I'm just looking for an easy class. No, I one of the group that we will negatively impact if we take away electives is the high achiever who is wanting to get into college with as many AP concurrent enrollment classes they can possibly take. So, I do not want to be the district I do not want to be the lone district in the state of Utah that requires four social study credits where very few do >> is what >> I know the answer to this, but I'm going to ask it like rhetorically. Is it possible that the decision we make tonight if we determine in a year or three years that it is not leading to the result that we had hoped that we could change course? >> Yes. >> What I mean I know I know we can. Yes. And I guess what I'm soliciting is is there any caution with that mindset that you would offer? I'll uh take a stab at that >> just because I'm I'm afraid we might be at an impass. I don't know. >> I I think you could kind of watch you guys out of the corner of my eye, but I I think you could change it and then decide if it was retroactive and just say in two years you say, you know what, we're going to change this requirement and so that we don't have three requirements. the one before you voted, the one after you voted, and then the one where you reconsidered that you just say and anyone is grandfathered in to the new requirement, or you can you can use any of the three requirements based on when you entered. And so, yes, the the the short answer is yes, you could reconsider. We would need to figure out the logistics and what that would look like. And there might be some who would say, "Dang, I would have taken a different course last year if I'd known you were going to change it, but you could provide some flexibility." And >> we're assuming you're lowering the standards because I think it would be much more difficult going out later and saying, "Oh, never mind. We decided to higher the standard." So, >> well, there'd be complications, but you could move it in either direction. You could say, "We're increasing the requirements." But if you did that, you'd have to give plenty of runup. You'd you you could increase it and you you'd just have to say this year's eighth graders before you schedule. So January of your 8th grade is when people are making decisions about their high school classes. So you'd have to make the decision. It's just deciding which class you implement a change for. You say this incoming CL class we change it or we provide flexibility you can do it this way or that way and it would it would be there would be some complexities but you could absolutely do it. >> Miss Dean >> after the um after we talked about this before um I talked about this agenda item. I reached out to the data analysts in our district and asked how many seniors um actually take five or more AP classes their senior year. And it's fewer than 10 in the whole district. And while I >> What was that? What was that again? I'm sorry. >> Fewer than 10 seniors take five or more AP classes their senior year in our school district. And is that only AP or AP and concurrent? >> Just AP. >> Gotcha. >> And um and [clears throat] so while I really want good opportunities for our high achieving students to be able to participate in um what they the AP classes and concurrent classes, the electives that they want. I um I feel very strongly about not decreasing the rigor for the rest of our students. And I really appreciate the writing and the critical thinking skills that come from the social studies classes. And I I just bring that up to put it into perspective maybe about how many students we're thinking about each year that take five or more AP classes their senior year. And like I like you asked, it's not concurrent enrollment um but just strictly AP. >> It's good information. Thank you. I'm going to call myself really quickly. One more question. Sorry I have so many. Um, I've noticed that a student can take concurrent enrollment, US history, and world history. It's still a three credit hour class, but it lasts a full year. Is it a possibility that we can expand our US government concurrent enrollment option to be a fullyear class so that a student can take this to meet the state's requirement for high school as well as college? Um, I've talked with Chris Richards Kong about this very thing and we have to wait until the standards have been approved before we can work on that. But that is something that we're thinking about, but we can't do it until the the standards for that new government class have been approved by the by USB. >> Sense. Thank you. All right, Mr. Barnett. >> Yeah, it was mentioned earlier by Dr. Robinson that Elias Seminary sometimes gets in the way of it it takes four credit or >> credit hours away. I was I was wondering if there are if there are seminary options outside of this the the school day. Is there early morning? Is there something after school? Are are there options so that if someone wanted to take a year of early morning because they want to take five AP classes or concurrent enrollment? Is is that even an option for a student? Yeah, we have early morning but to be quite honest early morning's dying pretty quickly because the options are with us, right? Like so we just recommend a kid, why don't you take a class over at Kings Peak and that opens up your schedule. And so uh we have Jordan Credit Center. I mean, we have a lot of options in our district that having a high standard really isn't difficult for our kids because there's some way to get around it. So, um I wouldn't consider seminary one way or another in this discussion because I do think both the LDS church and the Jordan School District offer lots of opportunities for kids who who need to get around the credits. So, so for those high achievers, >> yeah, >> there is a path. It might not be the best path because they have to get up early or or do something after school. But >> like I said, there early morning has always been super popular, but is quickly dying because Jordan district has a lot of options in and of ourselves, but we also have online seminary and other options within that program. So there is so many ways for kids to to get what they want, the experience that they want. It didn't used to be that way. And we live in a day where we really have personalized education for them. And I think that's that's a great thing for kids. >> That's a great question. >> Nice to have experts at the table on it seems like anything we ask there's someone here. Um, I have just one more comment and then it looks like the queue is empty. So, be thinking about if there is anything else you need prior to this agenda item in our business meeting. Um, it sounds like it will be a nailbiter vote today. I don't know what will happen, but I do want to make the board aware of something that if we just determine a 3.5 credit hour graduation requirement for social studies. I would like to motion and I want to explain that here while we have a space to discuss. um a recommendation that we make modern civilization the required course so that every student who graduates from our district has at least had experience with World War II, the Holocaust, some of the more recent world events that I think make a literate citizen. So, I'm happy to go into more explanation on that, but I wanted to not blindside anyone in case that motion comes up. In in the spirit of not blindsiding anyone, if if we do vote to go three and a half social studies credits, I I would most likely make a motion that we that we leave world civ a full year and consider world geography as a half. That would be a motion that I would consider. >> Okay. Interesting. >> When I first saw this on the schedule, I thought, "This is pretty easy. This has been really hard." >> I have never thought that of a board meeting agenda item. [laughter] >> I thought, "Oh, this is just a conversation. Pretty easy to select." But >> there are such great arguments on all sides. And the more you talk about it, the more you can see all the sides. >> All right, Miss Dean. And I would make a similar motion or second Brian's motion quickly of keeping world civ a full year and making world geography the half credit if if we go to 3.5 >> or stay 3.5. Yeah. So, in light of that possibility, can you talk to me about how that could potentially affect FTE at our middle schools? Are we putting jobs I I don't want to say in danger, but could people potentially be risked based on that decision? >> Yes. >> Will you explain a little more about that? because the there's there you it's an overall redu it would be an overall reduction in middle school whereas it's a shift in high school. So you can shift who teaches what at the high school level but you would be reducing the courses taught and it's it's a unique problem to us because it's nth grade in the middle school. So you don't have the flexibility to switch among grade levels whereas you can at the high school and there are more electives available at the high school level and there is more ability to have a shortened schedule at the high school level as well. So just there's more flexibility to adjust at the high school level than there is at the middle school level. >> Thank you. Okay. any last things that people need before they're ready to go into this agenda item? >> Um, I I know I didn't raise my hand, but we haven't heard from Miss Razudo at all. Did you have anything? >> No, that's why this decision is on you. >> If we had any questions for you? >> Yeah, if you have questions for me, I'm fine. But >> thank you for being here and sitting through the discussion. Thank you. All right. We do appreciate the many, many hours of questions that many staff members have answered on this. I know it's likely all of us have reached out to at least one person outside of the meetings. This is an important decision. Okay, let's move on to agenda item 1B, which is a review of administrative policy AA417 or fundraising. We will turn it over to Dr. Godfrey. >> Thank you very much. We have been working with the administrative cabinet, talked with principles, talked with student body officer advisors and have proposed fundraiser changes, changes to fundraiser policy. There are some long-standing traditions. Uh, I will highlight odd jobs in particular where bands of children go out into the neighborhoods and do good deeds to raise money for charity and great things happen. But some of those cherished activities were not aligned with policy. And so we wanted to rewrite policy to align with those activities. We also wanted to be sure that there was a greater level of clarity in fundraiser policy because there has been some confusion and the the perhaps even more than some policies the the fundraiser policies have evolved and they've become kind of franken policies where we add parts and pieces to it not always in ways that make the most sense. So, we went back and forth on this, but we decided to split the policy, fundraiser policy up into three separate policies, elementary, middle, and high. Because most of the time, someone is just focused on one particular level. I'm PTA president or I'm the school community council or I'm a principal and I want to jump into a fundraiser. Um, so here's a document that's everything that relates and nothing that relates to a level that I'm not currently worried about. So there are uh I can go briefly over some of the changes that are involved or I can answer questions that you have about the policies that we posted on Friday that however you'd like to proceed. >> Um, I would love your input. I have been thinking a lot about this because in particular the high school policy is a lot of changes um from what we have had in prior policy. And I think one thing that brings this agenda item before the board today is a desire to have policy in place that matches the practice of the district. I believe this is an area where our practice and our policy have not always aligned over the past several years and so I am thrilled that we're having this conversation but keeping in mind that there are a lot of changes. Dr. Dr. Godfrey, tell me if this works for you, but I wonder if we can go through at least the high school to start with just letter by letter and and then like ask our questions on that letter item before moving on. >> Yes. Can I can I give a summary? Can I kind of give head headlines first and then we can dig through? Does that sound like an okay approach? >> Okay. Uh, and you would like to start with the high school? >> Oh, I was just going in the order it was appearing on board book, but we can do whatever you would like. >> Okay. I'm just going to read through some bullet points that are the headlines. Uh, we've had multiple conversations with principles since the conclusion of charity drives in December. This proposal includes their feedback. We shared the main ideas at a high school PTA meeting or we shared the main ideas for feedback at the high school PTA meeting. Um, we met with principles and and SBO adviserss in April in order to get their feedback to to make sure that we're encompassing the practices that um are currently happening. Um, look for ways to keep kids safe while still allowing for odd jobs. We wanted to be sure that we are creating some guide guidelines so that they student time is balanced during the school day so we don't take away from academics unnecessarily and in the evening so that there aren't outsized expectations of students spending more time than they should fundraising. Um, and the other is to make sure that we provide some flexibility for schools to retain some funding at the school level to help their community directly, but that be limited to 10,000 so that anything beyond $10,000 raised would need to go to an a third party charity. So that in the past you could keep all of it at the school level and help community directly and this policy limits that amount to 10,000 and it's a total amount of 10,000. So if you haven't spent it all and you raise more you can only have up to 10,000 in a fund that you administer locally. That's the overview. So we can start going through item by item. And >> is there a redline copy? Because I didn't get a redline copy. Uh we I don't know who provided that. >> They're all clean because the red line copy would have been >> would have been all red. >> They actually called and asked for one. And I think where we're taking one policy and creating three. It was hard to provide us with a red line on this one. >> It would have looked like where the detective is trying to solve the murder and he has all the pictures [laughter] up with the yarn. >> But we can provide that for you. No, >> I don't know if we've actually created that because we're writing a new policy where we're pulling parts from the original policy. But >> maybe as you go through to explain, say this is how it was. This is what it's going to be. If whenever that's appropriate, >> uh to the extent that I can, I will do that. But I don't know if >> No worries if you can't. >> So, do you want me to just go through by section and ask if there are questions about that particular section? Yeah, if you want to give highlights, please feel free, but I would hate for you to go over it and then have us keep circling back to the same area. >> Okay. Um, anything on the board directive portion? >> I did have a question on that one. >> Yes. >> Um, the last sentence and it this was in the old policy as well. It says uh this policy is intended to provide schools with the ability to raise funds without unduly pressuring students, patrons, and or community members to support or participate in fundraising activities. I was curious why we use the word patrons instead of parents. I feel like community members kind of encompasses patrons. Uh, patrons is a term from the old country that we used many years ago under a previous communications director who liked that term as an all-encompassing anyone who has a connection to the district. So, that's something we can certainly change to parents if if you'd like us to change that. That does more directly speak to family. So, um, yeah, we that's a that's a change. That's an adjustment we could make. >> I I like parents better, >> but that's just me. >> And and I like families better than just straight parents, >> parent or students, families and or community members. >> Yeah. I think families could encompass >> it like grandparents and >> this is in the board >> older siblings and >> yeah last sentence of the first paragraph of the policy >> board. Okay. >> Okay. Anything on anything else on the board directive? Roman numeral 2. We're clipping along. Section A. Anything there? >> Sure. >> Like literally a few. Um, so when we say fundraisers cannot involve doortodoor sales, are students still able to sell items? They're just not encouraged to walk from door to door. It's more like, "Hey, Dad, will you take this to work with you?" >> Right. >> But it's still allowed. Okay. Um, my next question is number five. Students are not to miss class to participate in fundraisers. I'm wondering about uh items like the HOSA blood drive. Are students going to be allowed to participate in that during class times? Is that considered a fundraiser? >> I know it certainly is for HOSA. >> I think what we ought to say is uh without school permission. >> Okay. That >> without without proper permission. >> Yeah. I was thinking too of like our little elementary um student government kiddos that go around and collect recycling. I don't know that that's a fundraiser per se, but they're missing class to do that. >> So, I think adding that would sit better with me. >> We'll make that change. >> Okay. I ask of the doortodoor sales. Does that put odd jobs out then? >> Odd odd jobs is specifically listed separately. So, that's not sales, that's service. >> Sounded like a car dealership. sales and service. >> Okay, those were mine. >> Okay, B, >> I have a question. [laughter] I'm sorry. So many notes on this one. That's great. >> Okay. >> Um, when we talk about a charity drive fundraiser, that doesn't include things like a food drive or something like that. It does. >> It does. So, if a high school participates in our charity drive, they're not allowed later to gather food for the food bank or like Latinos in action can't hold their own drive or whatever. Is that how I'm reading this? >> For clarity, what we could say is and one annual schoolwide charity fund drive fundraiser. How about that? >> Okay. So, if a club sponsors a schoolwide, like I'm I'm going with food drive. >> If a club sponsors it, it's not schoolwide. >> Okay. Even though they invite the entire school to participate, it's different. Okay. >> Thanks for that clarification. >> Anyone else on B? Okay. about C. >> Maybe I should have you take it because you can see the hand raising. So you can move us from >> You don't have to raise your hand on this one. We're going through item by item. >> Okay. >> Just speak up. >> Um Okay. So for C2, could the third party um or it's it's not just that it's in one, but could the third party um >> Sorry, where are you? >> Okay, where was I? I was in >> Okay, that's what you said at least. >> I know. And it it's okay. I was thinking about I can't remember where it was. I should have made a note and it might not even be in this but the part and where um the funds raised must go to like a third party oh two yeah charitable fundraisers must be directed towards existing charitable nonprofit organizations in the business of managing and distributing charitable contributions. So, could the Jordan Education Foundation be that third-party um [clears throat] like charitable organization? >> Yes. >> Okay. So, if they want to help pay lunch debt or Okay, >> that's right. But what that means uh is that then the foundation administers that funding. Oh, so they wouldn't say like designate what they would hope it would go for once. >> They could they could say we want you to use it for over weekend packs weekend packs for students at elementaryaries in our area. >> Okay. >> Then the administration of that goes to the >> group because you could >> donate to the Makea-Wish Foundation and you say we're sponsoring these three students through Make a Wish. So you can designate within that charitable organization. It's the it's just the distribution of funds shouldn't come from the school beyond $10,000. Thought to be >> an outside entity that's doing that. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Can I ask for clarity on that same number C2? The two sentences seem like they would maybe be separate items, but they're in one item. And I'm wondering if I'm missing a connection there between the two. a sub for Santa. Would it be a separate line item or is when you talk about number two is the whole thing about a sub for Santa? >> The the second um Yeah, I see your point. The second sentence is is an exception to the first sentence. >> I see. It has to go to a charitable organization, but if you want to hold back 10,000, you can >> because Sub for Santa isn't an official charitable organization. >> That's right. >> Okay. Maybe if we could just add some language about as an exception to this. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Thank you. So then, if I'm understanding correctly, if a school wants to reinvest the money they raise back into their community, it can only be done through either a third party organization or sub for Santa. If something pops up, there was a fire, family lost their home, >> that's the 10,000. >> The 10,000,000 go into that. It's not just sub [clears throat] for Santa like gifts at Christmas. Sup for Santa is a general term for helping families directly as a school instead of through a charitable organization. >> Okay. I I was picturing like buying gifts for a family in need. >> Yeah. Buying a remote control car for someone. No. Um so maybe sub for Santa speaks to the schools. They get what that means. So that's why we use that term. >> Okay. It does it speak to our constituents in the same way you think it does? I don't. I think sub for Santa is buying Christmas presents for a family in need. >> That's what I thought too. >> Okay. >> So maybe we say such as a such as I think would open it up to beyond just sub for Santa. But the concept >> sub for Santa is denominational as well. So, we could say sub for Santa or local needs. >> Yes. >> I like that. >> Mhm. >> Or local needs. Something like that. Okay. We'll we'll make that adjustment and we'll bring up back all of these adjustments. We'll post them the Friday before board meeting at the beginning of August so that you have time to review those updates to make sure that the new language reflects uh what you were hoping to achieve. Thank you. I wonder if should three be like a 2 a or 2b or something underneath since it's very directly related to the one >> above it. >> Uh we'll we'll look at that and see if that yeah kind of pull it under as a >> because we we have a few things to fix anyway. We've got some anomalies there in the in the taxonomy. So we'll we'll take a look at it. And and I have a question. >> I do think it needs to be nested underneath. Yeah. >> Sorry for interrupting. Um, so how was November 15th chosen as the date? >> Because that's just before they would be announcing and launching the next. >> Okay. Okay. Generally, schools don't announce what they're they're working toward and and you want to say how much you're trying to raise for the charity and so it's just right before we start the next round. >> Okay. Okay. So, if they wanted to like spend it down on Thanksgiving dinners for >> Yep. >> whatever, then they would need to get that done before 15th. Okay, >> that's right. >> Anyone have a question before number four? That's my next one. >> Okay. So, when we talk about ways that people can donate, I understand that um there are ways for people to give a donation electronically, like we're less and less of us carry cash. Are any of those routes free? Like 100% of the donation goes to the cause? It's probably a question for Mr. Larson. To my knowledge, every one of them would have a fee because the platform that's operating them is going to have some sort of fee, especially if you're using any type of intermediary service uh for that payment transfer to happen. How that fee is um absorbed, paid for is different for different vendors. We have agreements with some vendors that we do um like the school fees for and school lunch for how that occurs. And so we incorporate that into our system, how those fees are absorbed. And then if the school choose chooses a different route, then there's different fees that the school absorbs. But every method has some sort of a fee attached to it for non-cash. So I'll give an example of a temptation that I have seen. I understand that to do this appropriately, we don't use benmu, but frequently during the charity season, um there is muffins brought to classes and it's like, "Oh, would you like to buy a $1 muffin?" And um kids will pay through Venmo because otherwise it's like would you like to buy a $3 muffin because Venmo doesn't have fees but these other ones do. >> Yeah. >> So I just want to remove the temptation if we can. >> Yeah. Agreed. Because then the the charity drive becomes the person who provided the muffins. >> Yeah. the Venmo, we do have an option that Venmo is available through, but that platform in order to process it has a fee for it so that it's not not an individual that's paying the money cuz what you described is Venmo is made for personal transactions, not business transactions. So, it's a wonderful platform to do that, but business transactions are much more difficult to handle with Venmo. And so we do have a platform that has incorporated that and used it, but they charge a fee to do that on their end. It just so it's going from business to business and it or or from the person directly to the charity or directly to the school and bypasses that person who's, hey, buy the muffins and I promise you I'll I'll give the money to the school later. Yeah, that's what makes me nervous. I I don't want us to get in a situation where kids are like, "You can trust me." >> Yeah. >> So, um, so in that platform, and I know next to nothing about this, so I really I'm not trying to make a point with these questions. Um, if they buy the $1 muffin and they pay with their debit card, then they get charged $1 and then we absorb the fees. In addition to that, >> there's depends on the route that's been chosen. There's routes that are chosen for uh where the school has chosen we'll pay the fees on this because we believe this is the route that would be most successful for this type of a fundraiser. And then there's other fundraisers where the district will pay the fees because it's part of the district's setup of how we operate the other funds of the district. And so then the school has a choice to make which direction they'd like to go. And depending I think I think a wise school would say well let's that would probably be different for each activity we do. It may be this one for that one, but that one, you know what I mean? If you just stick with one for everything, you're probably losing out on some sales or donations. >> Okay. >> Um, I've got a question on D1 where it says, >> "Anyone anything else on C?" Sorry, >> I have one thing on C and it's just a weird thing on eight. >> What is that eye doing that's under the eight? >> The I is an intruder that is not supposed to be there. >> Okay. Okay. I caught the intruder. [laughter] >> Yes. cuz I just thought do I understand how this >> when I said there are other things we need to do to structure that's one of those things >> okay >> when you have a Franken policy the formatting is really something special >> and you have to you have to really dig through the ancient tabs and other things that are in there so I apologize for that but that's that's something else we need to clean up on there >> we have a prize or something to give to Lisa that's a good catch >> it is a good catch That is a good catch. >> There's some cookies. >> I can feel very proud of myself. >> Prize provided by Lisa or by Aaron. >> Sorry, we're now on D. Eron. >> Oh. >> Oh, was there more C. Sorry. >> I'm sorry. Yes. >> Don't apologize. >> No, let's sail the C. Let's do it. >> C8 uh B. When it talks about odd jobs, at least one student in the group is an elected or appointed student representative wearing their official school sweater. Does that have to be a student government or could it be like a position in a club that was elected or appointed? >> Appointed elected or appointed student representative. >> That's anyone appointed or elected to represent students. >> I just want to make sure we're not overworking captain of the football team. Would that count? If you're in >> they have a sweater maybe >> if you're in the me a member of the superintendent fan club and you have been elected president of that club then you would be a an elected school representative >> if such a club existed. I mean I've heard rumors but I don't know for sure. >> We have all been club season coming up. So >> yeah that's right. Anyone interest generic odd jobs question. >> Yes. So, if students are going doortodoor asking for a donation, that would constitute door-todoor sales. Odd jobs are we're here to offer service, >> right? >> Because I I'm I feel like I don't want to tattle on on schools, but I have noticed a shift that lately now it's like, "Hey, would you like to donate? Here's my code." There's never an offer of a job. So, is that okay? Can they do that or is that door to door? >> That's an odd job indeed to simply [laughter] walk up and ask for money. Uh, that's really not how it's supposed to work. >> Um, >> I have all these good ideas from listening to you. I'm like, my dog's leash is ready to go and then they never offer. >> Oh, having them walk my dog was was >> they were startled when they opened the superintendent's door and then [laughter] >> that's amazing. >> But it was fun to have them walk the dogs. Um the dogs are looking forward to this uh December. Um I we could add something that jobs are required but I think that might not be necessary in policy. I think that's something for us to take back to advisers because there are I can guess that they just start doing that when there are so many people who say I don't need you in my house doing any work but here I'll go ahead and make a donation. I'm not sure I want you uh you know uh weeding. I'm not sure what you might pull up, but here's 20 bucks. Go ahead. You know, thank you for I I don't want to be too prescriptive on that unless you feel strongly. I think if we can remind advisors to say at least offer to do something in return, that's what the odd job is all about. >> Nope. I I just wanted clarity between door-todoor sales and yeah, soliciting funds >> at a door whether that was different. Okay, now I'm ready to go on. >> [laughter] >> Okay. D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D >> Okay, so D1 says parent donations to support a specific activity in the school will be accepted and will not be considered a fundraiser as long as they are unsolicited. And then number two says donations must be accounted for and recorded through the school office. So, would a parent donation to a specific activity be an example of I'm going to host breakfast for the baseball players and I'm donating my time and resources to feed these players and is that being recorded or is that not an example of a parent donation? >> Maybe D2 should say monetary donations must be accounted for and recorded. But we don't say how much did you spend on that breakfast casserole. Okay, >> that's that's a good point. >> This is all very helpful because these are the exact clarifications that we want to be sure we make in policy so that people who are intent on following the policy have clarity going into any activity. So, this is this is I love I love this. This is very helpful. >> And then um this same section is in middle school as well as elementary school. And so the word unsolicited [clears throat] popped up more so for me when I read it as an elementary uh school policy because I immediately thought of like PTA uh teacher appreciation snack donations. Is that considered solicited that the PTA is asking for donations? What is unsolicited donations? Um, maybe we should look at that in the elementary because I don't know that that happens in the high school, but we'll make a note to bring that up when we review the elementary policy. >> I will bring it back up. >> And you are validating the choice to separate these out because even what might seem like boilerplate language that could be shared across all three takes on a different meaning at a different level. So that's that's helpful. We'll we'll revisit that. There is a there yeah I think there are some other provisions there that might inform that question uh in the elementary policy. So we'll hold on to that and come back to it. >> Anything else? >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Sorry. >> Oh waiting a long time to look at his policy. >> I just I just expressed my enthusiasm for these changes. There's no need to apologize as a preface to these suggestions. These these are great >> and really they're they're questions. So parent donations. Okay. Number one, when we talk about I'm trying to think of an example. I breakfast for the baseball team was a good one. So let's say that the drill team is going to perform at halftime and they all want to wear the same outfit. I'm my question is, is this allowing us to expand on items that have been documented in the fee schedule? So, costumes are included in the fee schedule, but hey, this specific thing is coming up and we're all going to wear this. Does that >> Well, that would be solicited >> if the if the drill team said, "Hey, everybody wear a red shirt to this one." >> That would be solicited. >> Okay. All right. And then um a potential addition that I I might suggest is um [sighs and gasps] I have seen times where there is I know that this is an outlier and it's not how it usually should be but it's like everybody has to sell this many tickets to the dinner and they put a freeze in Skyward until you have met your quota of ticket sales that is that something we can specify is not allowed because fundraisers are pretty clearly optional in this policy. >> F1 says all fundraisers are optional. >> Exactly. So >> So they can't do that based on F1. >> I just wondered if we needed to clarify that because I get at least once a year a call about that. let me know what that is and we will contact that advisor and that school and we'll put an end to it. >> But you don't want to clarify. Okay. Well, >> that's great. >> No, I I'm happy to clarify that it says all fundraisers are optional on F1. Is there additional language we need to to add there? >> All right. >> That was a question, >> Miss George. Do you is there anything else that you feel we need to add to make sure because you you hear about it each year and I want to be sure that this policy covers that we we worked on F1. We boiled F1 down to all fundraisers are optional specifically to address what you brought up. But if you feel that that >> you asked me whether I don't want to clarify, I absolutely do if you feel like it needs to be clarified. >> I >> F1 was our attempt to do that is what I'm saying. I have just noticed that that is not new to this policy and that has seemed to be a place where our practice and policy are not aligning. So I was wondering if our policy needed more clarity. But if you feel like that's an outlier and that's not the typical experience, then I'll keep calling you if it comes up. >> Well, you have the secret shopper experience [laughter] and really don't. >> So, uh, you've you've had that personal experience. So, I'm very open to any suggested language that you think would further clarify that all fundraisers are optional. >> I feel like if the numerous people that you talked to felt okay with this language, I'm okay with it. And as if things pop up, I'll let you know. I would like to bring up uh to your attention back up at two like administrative policy A4 says students must not be compelled to sell or purchase products or services and must be free to voluntarily participate without peer or group pressure. So I would highlight that as well. And that's also not new, right? And what you said about policy and practice, we really want this policy to impact practice >> in some ways. It feels really good first of all to have that odd job section set >> because I've known every year well that doesn't comply with policy, but I'm not going to be the guy that says, "Hey, all that community outreach that's been so positive, let's put an end to that." So, I'm grateful to the board that we're that we're updating that. So, in that way, we want policy to reflect practice, but in the situation you're describing, we want policy to impact practice and to put an end to the um the pressure and the requirement. And we've heard about this on occasion. You have to sell, everyone has to sell 10 tickets. go sell 10 tickets. And whenever we hear about that, we talk with the adviser. We give that clarification and uh we'll make sure that that's in with our athletic and activities directors with our athletic directors and our administrators that they're training coaches on that. >> That's what I was going to ask. Is there going to be some training this fall? >> Certainly. Yeah. Ideally, we can get this in place in August and then we can have those meetings to make sure that we get this trained. So, uh I know that happens and it probably happens every year because we have such turnover in coaches or there's been a requirement that parents haven't told us about or that we haven't heard about. But, uh we do train on it and we'll train. We'll hit that particularly because I really don't want people to feel the pressure to to be part of those fundraisers or at a particular level. >> So I have just one more question if anyone else have I don't want to keep going if >> Oh we we skipped E. Sorry. It's fine. I don't have anything on >> anything on E business partnerships. We love those Chick-fil-A nights and those other businesses that uh that's the first one that leaps to mind. But >> Lagoon, >> what's that? >> Lagoon. >> Lagoon. That's right. >> Lagoon. >> All right. Just one more question on F2. >> Yes. >> This is just curiosity how it works. So you make a team and you're given a list of fees and then you pay it at the beginning and then later the team has a fundraiser which is could be used to help offset student fees associated with programs or activities. But there's not a way to then retroactively say you already paid yours but now you participated so here's a $50 rebate. What? How does that work? >> Um John, do you have any thoughts on that? We don't I will say this, we don't uh specifically um sometimes sometimes we have people who say, "Oh, I raised more money than I needed for fees, so now all that money comes to me." that's in policy that they don't receive that. >> And that makes total sense to me. But >> what you're asking is if you pay the fee, then you raise the money to offset the fee, do you get the fee refunded to you? >> Yeah. Or should we be charging fees at the end of a season or what? How does that work? >> Yeah, usually it's the opposite way where the adviser or somebody saying, "Okay, you we have this fee to be paid and we have this these opportunities to raise the funds for it." So, um, here's here's the date or whatever we can participate in these fundraisers to pay for those. >> Okay. >> What you're describing should be rare if ever to my knowledge where that would happen where somebody pays the fees and then later an adviser says, "Oh, just thought of a fundraiser. So if you already paid it, sorry, but you can now raise money to get refunded for that. Hopefully it's not happening often. >> So the the expectation is you go to the team meeting and they give you the paper that says this is what you owe, but it should say don't pay this until this date. We have fun. >> We would never we would never pay out fundraised money, but if you fund raise money that offsets a fee you've already paid, we could refund the fee that you paid. >> Yeah. >> So, you pay for the overnight trip. What what what John just described is the ideal. >> Yeah. >> This is what our overnight trip is going to cost. You approved a Hawaii trip for >> Bingham Bingham Marching Band. So, they're going to fund raise all along the way. If somebody just paid it and then fundraised to offset, then we could refund that. >> Okay, that's what I want. >> That's a that's that's a that's an example. And that's a really good question to help us highlight the opposite. Like, we don't refund fund raise money, but fund raise money can allow us to refund a fee that you paid. >> Okay, that makes sense. Thank you. My mic just cut out, John. Just so you know, >> we're gonna start. Got it. >> I don't know that this is in there and I don't know if it needs, but [laughter] we had some fee problems when COVID came up in reimbursing fees and those kinds of things. Do we have a provision in here in case another pandemic was to come up or something unusual? Is that worked in here? Do we need to work that in here? There are two occasions where I recall we had to take extreme measures like that. One was during CO, the other was student travel during 9/11. >> Yeah. >> And we had to work things out. In both cases, I thought it was best to involve the board uh and and make decisions that were related to that specific circumstance rather than try to write a policy that anticipates such odd occurrences. >> That makes sense. Thank you. >> But we can we can put a provision in if the board would like. That wasn't shutting it down. It's just I I I've seen it work twice where the board just adapts, makes a decision, and we're and we're able to respond. >> It might be difficult cuz again, you're trying to re read the tea leaves of what's going to happen out there and solution. >> I do remember that we discussed that as a board made an exception. Now I I want to come back to a point that Miss George made earlier about not seeing the practice reflect the policy even though the expectation that fundraising is not required and can't be required and can't put pressure on people even though those are not new concepts that on a regular basis she sees that that that still occurs. Um, with a new policy, we're really going to be intent on making sure that we train to that and it's an opportunity to train on the new aspects of it, but we're going to train on the longestablished aspects of policy as well. And we have software, new, newly acquired software that allows us to do so, I think, more effectively than ever. So, I'm optimistic that we can impact practice uh even more effectively with these policy changes and with just an opportunity to retrain on old concepts. So, I appreciate your efforts on this because I think it'll make a difference. Anything else on uh this particular policy? Do you like the concept of breaking it out by level? >> Yes. >> Okay. Shall we go on to middle school? Let's see. Okay, let me just pull it up here. Uh the one clarification that I would point out or the highlight or headline on middle school is there's been some confusion about whether PTA can do um a memory book and a fundraiser. So, we're adding the PTA memory book fundraiser and that clarifies that PTA and school to school administration that the memory book is a schoolwide fundraiser even though the money is being collected into PTA accounts. School can still use the other four fundraisers as they have in the past. So, sometimes there's a question, does the memory book count as one of the four? The two charitable fundraisers must follow the policy regarding charity charitable fundraising. School Community Council can sponsor a fundraiser for a school purpose and the money goes into school accounts to be used for the advertised purpose, but the school community council does not control the spending of the money. And business partnerships, whether sponsored by PTA or the school, do not count as one of the five allotted school fundraisers. So, two charitable, two schoolwide, and the memory book. So when you say business partnerships, are you saying like spirit nights? >> Yeah, spirit nights where you say 10% of every whopper purchased will go toward the business administrator fan club. >> And what about if individual clubs wanted to do a fundraiser? Does that still count into the five? Yes, it still counts into the five because middle school is limited in as to their overall number of fundraisers. >> We need to clarify on B4 the two charitable schoolwide fundraisers like we were going to clarify in high school so that the high school clubs could do a little fundraiser. That's that's depending on whether you want clubs to be able to do additional charitable fundraisers. Our intent for middle school is that it's two charitable fundraisers period regardless of who sponsors them. So if it's National Junior Honor Society, then that's one of those two charitable fundraisers. the limits at elementary and middle in are intended to reduce the impact on families. >> Can I assume that if the high school's charitable fundraising effort? I've noticed that they've started to include in some occasions middle schooler and elementary schools join them in the community effort. I assume that would be one of the two charitable fundraisers even though it's sponsored by the high school. would be one of the two. Okay, >> that's right. >> So, they can partner with the high school. It's a nice way to do it, but that still counts. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Did it used to be one? Are we increasing this? >> Used to be one. Two is meant to cover what you brought up. is that but what if I think it I think it was you miss George who like if one club wants to do a food drive well that's a charitable fundraiser and that counts as one of the two >> and I I have a another question so B3 one PTA fundraiser for the sale of a school memory book does that mean that a PTSA could not do a different type of fundraiser if they so chose and just you know charge the cost of the memory book to the students. >> Um they could PTA well maybe this is an area where we need to clarify. The reason we say PTA fundraiser is that the PTA is the only group that can do the memory book. So, um, the PTA could be involved in the fundraiser that is not the school community council fund. So, I I know a very specific example where the PTSA opted not to use the memory book as a fundraiser at all, yet backed the um and didn't order any extras or anything, but just backed the memory books that the students ordered. But then the students only paid what it cost to produce them and then did a different fundraiser for the PTA fundraiser like that they used for teacher appreciation and other things. Is that making sense? Or is or is the memory book the only district sanctioned way that a middle school PTSA could do a fundraiser? It's not the only way they can do a fundraiser. And if they do the memory book, it doesn't have to be a fundraiser, but they don't get to replace the memory book with a fundraiser. There can be five fundraisers. One of them can be the memory book. Two of them can be charitable and one of them I had to be careful. One of them is by the school community council. So that leaves one left and the PTA could be involved in that one. That >> Okay. Okay. Thanks. So potentially the PTA could do the memory book and charge the people who buy the memory book more than what it costs and then also have an additional fundraiser. Is that >> that? [clears throat] Yes, that's right. >> So it could so the PTA >> but it would still count as that main fundraiser. the the memory book. >> You can't replace the memory book fundraiser. If you choose not to make money on the memory book, that doesn't mean you get a bonus fundraiser in place of that. >> Yeah, I don't want a bonus fun. >> PTA bylaws wouldn't allow it, right? >> You're only get one fundraiser that's more than 500. Is that the number? >> Okay. >> And I'm looking at I'm pulling up the middle school donations. Elementary and middle schools did previously have two charitable fundraisers. So that was not an increase actually. Sorry, I just had to take a look at that. >> But the way it's listed is elementary and middle schools may participate in a total of up to four fundraisers. It's just I like separating it out. I asked that because middle schools have talked to me in the past about they feel like they'd like to increase that, but I can't remember the specifics on it, but we're not we have time to talk to them. And >> if if you want to increase it as a board, you can. I believe the limits were initially placed by >> this is an increase of one total, right? It used to be to charitable and to other fundraisers. It depends on this is another policy practice sort of question because I think that schools have typically not counted the memory book as a fundraiser either because they were just charging the amount or so we're clarifying that the memory book's one thing and then there are two charitable and two >> so it could be the problem that they were count that as one and so they feel stifled that they don't have it now >> we're listing the memory book separately Not to increase because if somebody did five, we wouldn't see that as doing too many. It's just to clarify that you can do that that many. So we said four charitable fundraisers and then we said memory book and then people said does the memory book count as one of the four. So that it's so it could be viewed as an increase I guess. >> Yeah. Can I clarify uh on the the PTA fundraiser? Like could we change the wording and say one PTA fundraiser such as for the sale of a school memory book? Like so that it's they don't feel like they have to do the memory book as their fundraiser every year like we were talking about. Can we make it more of an an example or should we keep it the way it is? think it needs to be separate because if it's just an example then that suggests you can switch it out and do something different instead of >> so are we mandating that PTA PTAs always do a memory book then for our middle schools that's what I think >> middle schools may participate in a total of up to five fundraisers and number three is one PTA fundraiser for the sale of a school memory book so we could rephrase it um we could say one fundraiser for for the sale of a memory school memory book sponsored by PTA. But that's not if they want a memory book. According to current policy, um the PTA is the one that has to do it. Decades ago, the board did not want that to be a school responsibility. And that's part of the middle school philosophy. And it was kind of a compromise. We don't want yearbooks in middle school. That's a high school thing. But if you want to do a memory book, then the PTA can do the memory book, but we're not going to do that as a school. >> Okay. So, let me I don't know if I understood. I thought I did, but maybe I don't. So, whether or not the PTA makes money on the memory book, it still counts as the PTA fundraiser. >> No. >> No. Okay. But they can like Yeah. Okay. You get four fundraisers and a memory book. >> Collect the money. >> Four fundraisers and a memory book. >> Okay. >> If you don't do the memory book is a fundraiser. >> No. >> No. If the memory book is not a fundraiser, >> clearly we need to phrase this better. And so the memory book can be a fundraiser, but then if it's not a fundraiser, the the middle school PTSA could do a different fundraiser. I mean, honestly, it would simplify my brain if it was the only type of fundraiser a middle school could do. [laughter] >> Well, you can choose to do that as a board. >> I I don't want to limit anybody else, but >> how about if we do this? We I understand where the confusion is coming and we'll rework it so that it makes more sense. >> It is is is my question crazy about like anyway cuz >> the answer to that is no. It is not a crazy question. It's the very reason that we are revamping this. All the concerns that you've brought up the mislication of the policy requiring requiring uh fundraisers, not being sure whether we didn't raise money on the memory book, so does it count as a fundraiser? These are all the things we're trying to clear up. All the things that you're bringing up. So, I'll say again, this is super helpful because we want to fix it here so that for schools it's it's it's crystal clear. So, we'll rephrase that. And what that means is that um what it means is that the PTA can create a memory book and they can make money on it and it doesn't count against your four fundraisers. That's really what it means. And then the four fundraisers, two charitable, one school community council, still leaves one that the PTA can be involved in regardless of whether they did a memory book, regardless of whether they made money on the memory book. But let me read from the from the middle school philosophy, memory book policy, and maybe it will make a little bit more sense why that's this separate outlier. Again, acknowledging we're going to rephrase it. And and I think part of my confusion is coming from um I think Utah PTA policy is one fundraiser. And so I think that these two things are getting jumbled in my brain. And so PTA can be the one to sponsor the memory book and if they so choose use it as a fundraiser. >> That's right. But if they don't >> um use it as a fundraiser, they can do a different fundraiser. But for the memory book to happen, it must be sponsored by the PTA. >> That's right. That's that's the key. >> That's how I'm getting it. Okay. >> And you could use the the memory book as a fundraiser and do the schoolwide fundraiser and you're fine. You can do both. Um that's that's the clarification. So on memory books, this is from AA442, yearbooks such as those published in high school shall not be part of the middle school program. PTA and PTSA organizations have the option of publishing a memory book on behalf of the school provided neither the school nor the staff assumes any responsibility for the publication including liability for content cost andor professional time. Um, and then there's a whole thing on memory books and there are guidelines and the policy references those guidelines. So, there was confusion. Hey, the PTA made money on the memory book. Does that now count as one of our fundraisers? So, we'll phrase things to make it clear that that does not count toward the four. And I don't know exactly what that will look like, but we'll make those adjustments. Board members, we have a budget hearing that starts in five minutes. We have one more piece of the fundraising policy to look at the elementary piece. Would you like to break and resume this later or do you want to >> I'd like to break. >> I need a break. >> You You don't need to [clears throat] say anymore. I'd like to break. [laughter] >> All right. So we will go ahead and have a short break and resume in the other room for the budget meeting in five minutes. Welcome to the Jordan School District Board of Education budget hearing for the 2627 school year. Um, my name is Nikki George. I am the president of the board of education. Today is Tuesday, June 9th, 2026. Present in the boardroom at this time are our attorney, all members of the board of education, our superintendent, associate superintendent, and the man of the hour, our business administrator. So, we are going to hop in tonight with a pledge of allegiance. We will turn it to Mr. John Larson. Would everyone please uh rise and join me in the pledge of allegiance? >> I pledge >> pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Why is my stupid mouse? Okay. And we'll now turn it to Dr. Godfrey for the reverence. >> For the reverence, I have a quote from John Mikum. He's an author that I heard speak years ago. And he said, and there may be others who've said it as well, disagreement is the oxygen of democracy. And I really like that that we don't avoid disagreement. we we disagree in a way that's productive and moves us forward as a country, as a community, and as an organization. So, uh, disagreement is the oxygen of democracy. >> Thank you. Um, I would like to point out that we don't have any Oh, now I'm going to forget the title. Like, nobody has passed away that we're recognizing appreciations. Thank you. So, that's a pretty good problem to have resolutions of appreciation. Anyway, so we didn't just forget it. There aren't any this time, which is nice. Um, so we are ready now to move into our budget presentation. We will turn it to Dr. Godfrey and Mr. Larson. very much. That's okay. By law in Utah, I am ultimately responsible for the budget. Fortunately, I have great people like the ones you see behind me and many others behind the scenes to do the direct work on the budget. This is an important meeting because the budget always reflects the priorities of an organization and what we truly value. I'm proud of the way that you as a board and our staff members and all of our employees take care with the taxpayer dollars that we receive, the donated money that we receive. and what a careful and thoughtful process we go through to be sure that those funds are accounted for and spent and in a very intentional and purposeful way. So, I will turn the time to Mr. Larson with my appreciation for the board's work and staff's work and anyone who has any responsibilities in the district who all ensure that we use these dollars in a way that makes the most sense and that we're accountable to taxpayers in all the ways that are required of us both by the law and just by uh by dent of our being focused on making sure that we make the most of those funds. So, thank you for your work. And Mr. Larson, I turn it to you. Good evening, um, members of the board. It's, uh, an honor to do this each year. Tonight is the um budget presentation for next year, the year ending June 30th, 2027, but we'll also talk a little bit about this year with uh uh some changes for this year's budget as well for a final amended budget. This first slide I wanted to just go over the um a high-level overview of the entire budget summary. This budget is a balanced budget. It includes the negotiated agreements. It includes our construction projects, the health insurance premiums. It includes a transfer from the general fund to the insurance fund and includes meal price increases for our nutrition services fund. Of course, we'll talk a little bit more detail on each of these, but very high level that is uh the budget in summary. The major budget variables that we have are operational changes that I'll go through. Um things that we're looking forward to implementing next year. We're also going to talk a little bit about state revenues, compensation with the negotiated agreements, our enrollment numbers, and assessed valuation per student. So to begin, here's a list of the operational changes that we anticipate implementing for this next year. I have listed the first two with an asterisk next to them because due to the significant nature of those two items, I have separated those out for a separate formal vote at the conclusion of the meeting. All the other items are included in the budget as are the two with the asterisks, but I I felt like the others were uh incorporated enough and um not necessarily insignificant, but smaller than the two asterisk ones. But of course, if the board wishes to, they could pull out any of those. So, the budget does include a $25 million transfer from the general fund to the self- insurance fund. This is to help both funds uh but mostly for our self- insurance fund as it has had a a few years of decline in fund balance with expenditures exceeding revenues. The next one is a meal price increase for nutrition services. This includes breakfast and lunch prices for our students and uh meal price increases for the adults as well. There are health insurance premium increases incorporated into the budget as well as the industrial insurance premium increase. Um, state risk management uh is our insurance carrier. They have some premium increases as well. There's curricular fees that we've been asked to eliminate and some uh offsetting secondary school funding increases to offset those. city school resource officer cost increases as well as some budget for additional officers. Funding for 16 rotation substitute days per elementary school, which I know has been very exciting news for many. substitutes for counselors, two additional HR administrators, four additional specialed team leads, a half uh FTE gifted and talent specialists per elementary school, and a 20our administrator mentor position. So, this is the summary of additional or uh operational changes for the year. Uh a few years ago, the board asked us to also include examples of cost reductions. So, here on this slide, I do have it. We do have uh where we were quickly able to identify five positions where we intentionally reduced the number of staff we had uh as people left the district and those recoup costs are being utilized to help fund much of the operational some of the operational changes as well. Next, I wanted to go into state revenues. Here's a summary of our state revenue changes for the year. The state was very good and gave us a 4.2% WPU increase. uh that was a sizable number of 14.3 million but what offsets that is the number of students we have has declined and so we will be receiving less state revenue due to that approximately 5.6 million. There was the educator salary adjustment 1.2 and some local replacement funds that we are required to send in for the state to help pay for some charter school costs. So total about $9.5 million of additional state revenues. I always like to point out here on the bottom that a 1% increase to the WPU generally yields $3.4 million. And that becomes important to note as we go into the next slide about compensation because as noted at the bottom of this slide, the cost of a 1% wage increase is 5.1 million. It's just different bases. 1% on two different bases yields a different number. Compensation this year though, uh, steps and lanes both provided for as well as pay increases. I would note that it's, uh, interesting that it takes 2.5% on the WPU just to pay for steps and lanes. Here's [clears throat] a summary of our enrollment over the last several years. Um, this one has certainly changed in the past few years as we have experienced a enrollment decline. In fact, of note is the farthest left column here was actually our highest enrollment point. And so we're going that was four years ago and now we're going into the fifth year. And uh we expect an enrollment decline as well this coming year. Assess valuation per student. This is a history of uh how Jordan school district um resulted in this key metric. Uh this is a good measure of um perhaps a way to say it is wealth of a district of how they can pay for its operations. Uh this is an estimate from USB legislative estimates. We do believe this will go higher once final calc uh values are calculated and our our assessed valuation is primarily impacted by home and property values. Those values are increasing at a higher rate um than enrollment because enrollment is falling which causes much of this growth that's been happening in the past few years. on that ratio. This is an interesting chart I always like to share in comparison with other uh school districts in the county of where we match up on that key metric of assessed valuation per student. As you can see, Jordan School District is the bottom number there. Uh but not far behind there is Granite School District and Canyons and Murray. Quite a ways out though is Salt Lake School District. So what that means though is the value per student can have a lower tax rate. So this chart is intended to show what uh the dollar value might be per student different should we all have the same tax rate. If we had the same tax rate, Salt Lake School District would be receiving $7,655 more than Jordan School District per student. uh as it is Granite School District at $450. So that's why it's a key metric in understanding the finances of a school district. As such, here is a chart to demonstrate the entire state and Jordan is about a third of the way up there in the green. The orange or yellow is a simple average of the entire state, but you can see that Park City, Rich and South Summit, North Summit, they are some pretty big outliers on the larger end. When you take assessed valuation per student and you multiply that by the tax rate, so here is the tax rates across the state. Again, Jordan in green and the simple average in yellow or orange. Um, you can see where the tax rates fall across the state. You can see an inverse relationship between those with the highest assessed valuations and and those with the highest tax rates, they're opposites. So, if you have a high assessed valuation, you can have a low tax rate. If you have a low assessed valuation, you're going to have a high tax rate. But when you multiply those, the assessed valuation per student with the tax rate, you get a tax yield. and Jordan is about a fourth of the way up on this list. Um, and just shows where we are relative to other school districts. I'll give you a moment maybe to look there. And of course, many of the rural districts um we may not be competing with uh staff on, but many of the Salt Lake districts surely we would be. That tax yield is the total tax yield. If we were to separate that out into different groupings and we exclude the basic the state basic school levy which is a uniform levy across the entire state uh that everyone levies. We would be left with two main groups. One would be operational funds and the second would be facilities. This grouping here shows the money that would be um for operations. This is our voted and board levies. Again, it does not include the basic school levy or the state charter school levy. You can see some orange on here. That is the amount of state aid that is provided for school districts that are um in a lower funding situation. Jordan School District's orange section is a a bit smaller than many of the others and this is a situation that the legislature has been trying to address for a couple of years in uh changing the formula for that state aid. Some districts have uh taken advantage of some nuances of that formula and and uh therefore receive some additional funds. >> Can you go back one slide? >> Yes. Is this [clears throat] an indication of how much taxpayer money it costs to educate one student? Is that essentially what this is saying? >> No, this is this is just going to be a a metric on property tax. Okay. for assessed valuation in the tax rate [snorts] because there's going to be uh federal income tax as well as state income tax dollars that are combining in with these funds to educate one student. The other part of this is the facilities yield opposite the operational yield. So the facilities yield includes the capital levy and the debt levy. The debt levy being in blue and the capital levy being in orange. It always fascinates me to look at our debt and not there's another slide coming uh later that looks at our debt but our debt is uh quite small compared to many not shown on any of these charts charter schools which would be an interesting ad but they they there's quite a bit there. This is a chart I've shown for several years now. We did expand this. Um I asked Mr. Ma if he would please go back in time and uh pick up several of the past years on this because the trend on this is is certainly fascinating to me. Back in fiscal year was that 14 we had approximately 49% of our general fund revenue was unrestricted funding and we are now looking at 28%. Being unrestricted funding. So if you compare the orange or yellow with the pink, the pink is the restricted funding from the state. The state's restricted funding has increased from 23% to 35%. You can see as the state has decreased unrestricted funding and increased substantially its restricted funding for school districts. Also of note to me on this is the gray. That gray bar is what I call state of Utah required property taxes. But I will I will maybe put an asterisk on the word required because as we have talked before, I consider it required, but others don't because you as a school board could choose to abandon all state funding and the gray funding. In other words, lose all the yellow and the orange and the pink and the gray if you chose to. But if you if you look at this chart, you can see that's that's an impossibility. And that's why I I term it required. The basic levy is uh certainly much more required as that is funding much of that yellow or orange. The voted and board levies are funding much uh or the state guarantee on that is funding much of that pink. So the gray bar to me is pretty much forced requirement but that has been increasing substantially uh over the years and has gone from 17% to 26%. It this chart shows to me that the trend is for the state to encourage more property tax funding than income tax dollars. And I think that's apparent as well with the income taxes being used for non-public education purposes as well as the reduction in the income tax rate. And I'll show some slides on that in a minute. This is a slide we received from uh the state board of education staff when they were explaining to us the changes in the state funding this year. This slide is fascinating to me because it demonstrates that the the state is including in its funding metrics local property taxes that it incentivizes or what I call required requires. If you um look at the top here voted and board local levy there we're counting on $170.6 6 million of increase across the state in just those two. The basic levy would be part of the basic school program and the charter levy would be part of this related to basic. So if you come down here, they have a summary of where the funding source and they are [clears throat] indicating that $221 million of the $37 million increase that the state is counting as state contributions is actually an increase in local contributions through property tax. So that's 72% of it The state of Utah has a fascinating page called the Kobe. That's the compendium of budget information with I went there and I downloaded this top section of data here. And if anyone would like information how to get that data online, I'd be happy to send you instructions how to get it. I summarized it here for um brevity sake and to uh move quickly, but this is what the Kobe compendium of budget information shows is the uh source of funding for public education over the past several years from the state. These yellow rows are local property taxes. So I came down and I added some rows here to summarize that. the ones that come from the uniform school fund, the local funds, property taxes, and other funds. And then from there, I summarized and gave a percentage. And as you can see, the percentage of what the state is considering funding uh from property taxes has gone from 27.76 to 29.88%. The uniform school fund has gone down from 20 from 69 to 62.81 and then other funds includes like the state trust lands funds and so that has uh gone up over the years. This is a slide to just demonstrate what the rates are that the legislature sets and incentivizes. So income tax has been falling for the past several years. Sales tax has been uh steady. You can see the statewide basic school levy. That's a property tax that's set by the legislature each year. We do not have that levy amount yet. Uh we were hoping to get it, but when we checked today, it was not there. on the far right is the the rate that the legislature incentivizes uh for the voted and board levy and that rate has stayed consistent. So as property taxes have sorry as property values have increased and yet the incentive rate is the same. You can see that there's a shift here from going from income tax to property tax which is fine and that's uh that's a policy decision for uh policy makers to make. Um, I just want to bring some transparency to that. I I do worry a little bit that um the numbers are confused when someone may say, well, the legislature increased their funding by X dollars or X% and people aren't aware that they're actually including in that property tax increases. Um, so I think it would be unfair for someone to blame the district alone for property taxes and yet take credit for increased funding. But I also think it would be unfair for us to not be grateful for the funding we do have and to not acknowledge that they they have a hand in those property taxes as well. Could I ask a clarifying question on that? >> Yeah. >> Um, so the legislature sets they called the basic tax that we're supposed to meet that that minimum of what we are we're levying for property tax. They set that number. Correct. >> The statewide basic school levy they said. Yes. >> Okay. And then >> that's one of several levies though. >> Okay. It it sounded like um they were kind of predicting that property maybe they were predicting property values were going to increase and therefore more revenue might come from property taxes but we also have control whether or not we are going to increase the property tax. So if we don't then is more revenue coming in or not? Sorry. >> It depends on the property tax levy. We have several levies and you mentioned one. The statewide basic school levy is set by the legislature and the funds whatever we receive on those funds is a direct um offset to the state funds we receive. So, if we receive more basic statewide uh basic school property tax levy proceeds, we will receive less WPU money from the legislature. So, when they're setting the rate, they're they're counting on, oh, well, we think property values went up. How much of that do we want to capture to offset with income tax? I think that helps. >> The there are other levies that the board sets. Th this one though, the basic one is is not for sure one of them. >> Yet on your property tax, it'll say Jordan School District. >> So, next I want to go through uh the eight funds of the school district as well as a district-wide overview of the entire district. I'll start with a district-wide overview and then we'll jump into some charts and graphs on each of the individual funds. This first one is a district-wide uh revenue sources. Where do we receive our money? This is similar to that bar chart that went out 13 14 years um that we showed earlier, but this is just for this next year. Uh state unrestricted funding 26% uh the state uh incentivized or required property taxes 23.8 state restricted funding 28.4 for federal funding, four and a half, which is an interesting metric for me to think about given the amount of federal um rules oversight. Um the property taxes the board has some control over right here, 9.8%. And then there's a bunch of interest and other local sources coming in. Combined, 83.1% of our money comes from state or federal sources. This is a line chart to show how that has changed uh over the past three years, the current year, and for the budget for next year. Some of these lines are really close together, but uh that's okay. The red is the expenditure. The re the green is the uh revenue. What we try to break out here with the um other colors is the purple is the expenditures without the contingencies. So, I'll remind the board that there's uh two different pages in the budget book, and I'm trying to remember them right now. I think it's page 17 and 24. Uh 17 is the budget with with the contingencies and carryovers and 24 I believe is the one without contingencies and carryovers. So you can just see how that number changes districtwide with that. And then you can see the fund balance how that will change as it comes down. There's some good notes here at the bottom about we know that uh revenues are overstated by deferred revenues but we also know that expenditures are overstated by those same deferred revenues and the school carryovers. So there is a tendency especially for this current year for revenues and expenditures to be overstated because as an example school carryovers are authorized to be spent. They may not all be spent. We don't expect they will all be spent, but they are budgeted to be spent because they are authorized to be spent. Okay. So, I'm going to move into the general fund. Now, the purpose of the general fund is for overall operations. This is um most of our salaries, benefits, textbooks, utilities. Think of anything dayto-day that we're doing in the district. Here is a summary of our fund balance uh by category. Uh we do have an economic stabilization day fund or um set aside which many people call the rainy day fund. We do have personnel costs that are set aside. A lot of that is for health insurance, uh vacation, and then we do still have uh some retirement benefits that we're tracking into the future for that closed system. This is an expanded view of that for the prior year, current year and next year. And this is the p page 17 view of it. As required by law, we have made the unassigned zero and moved that dollar amount up into uh teacher um wages and um benefits. That that amount was 12.5 million this year. This is the chart for the page 24 view of it without the contingencies and carryovers. We believe this is going to be a more accurate view of things, but as mentioned earlier, the carryover for schools, we just assumed it's going to be the same right here. And that's what we're talking about is uh do you assume it's going to be spent or it's going to be the same. I have noted here in asterisk the categories that are counted towards the 21 to 25% calculation that the board has set as its target fund balance. Here's another line chart, but this is just for the general fund. Similar to the other one, you can see the difference with the uh fund balance with and without contingencies here as that goes through. And you can also see that deferred uh revenue expenditure for the grants as well as the carryover of the school budgets here coming coming up. So this would show a loss for the year, a budgeted loss. We do not anticipate a budgeted loss. However, this year we believe we'll we will be um let's see, I I hesitate to use the word profitable. So I'll I'll say revenues I think will exceed expenditures this year. by roughly a few million dollars. This is a summary of the different categories that uh we spend in the budget. You can see much more detail in the budget book on this. Um by the way, last time we had a budget hearing, I mentioned how many budget lines we have. There's over 14,000 of them. And we try to summarize all of those into the budget book. you have much to the credit of these two gentlemen you see over here Dan Ellis and Jason Mott and their teams actually there's others as well but uh pulling it all together and summarizing it into a fashion that complies with state and federal standards but also hopefully makes it readable and useful. This is this um pie chart of those different categories. So instruction is just going to be uh just under 65%. But then you see other things here that are definitely related to instruction um and their costs coming out like supporting services for students and supporting services for teachers. Operation and maintenance of our facilities is a pretty large section of this. That would be our utilities, custodial, maintenance staff. The function is the the purpose of the fund of the spending. What is the purpose we're trying to meet? This next slide I'm going to go into the object and the object is the good or service that we are purchasing with that budget. 88.6% 6% of the general fund is spent on compensation and then you have 11.4% spent on other things like utilities or supplies. The debt service fund is our mortgage payments for our general obligation debt. This is a very fun chart. It's coming down. Uh the budget that we spend on those mortgage payments is coming down quite nicely. And we always try to keep minimal fund balance in here just so that we don't go negative but we have tiny amount for next year. This may be one of my favorite slides in this presentation. This goes back uh quite a ways before we issued our last bonds. If you remember in November 2016 was the bond election and then 2017 we started issuing bonds and now we're paying off those bonds. But what's really fascinating to me is how close these are coming across. One of the fun facts, if anyone is interested, is the law will not allow you to issue more bonds than $3 billion at the moment. So, please don't plan on that. This is a comparison of the long-term debt across the state. Jordan is near the bottom again. Um, very, very low debt. One of the questions I received from a board member was about charter schools on this list and that would be charter schools are 16,696. So somewhere right in here I believe be between Canyons and Weaver somewhere in here. Our capital projects funds are funds set aside specifically for one-time use for capital purposes such as building, remoding, renovation, new construction, equipment, buses. We do pay our lease revenue bond payments through here though because lease revenue bonds are not subject to a general debt tax rate like the um debt service rate would provide. So the lease revenue bond payments come through here. This is probably >> gone. Sorry. Can you go back? >> Yes. >> One more. >> This this is long-term debt per student. It and it shows all the districts in the state. Is is there one that shows long-term debt just as a total value for each of the districts or or is it similar to this distribution or >> No. If you took total value, it would mostly follow the size of the district. So, Alpine would be huge because it's a much larger district with uh growth and a lot of debt. Uh you could have a small district that has some debt, but uh we use a per student basis in order to offset those variables of how many students the the LEA may have. I don't have a chart that gives the total. We could create one. The data is out there on the state board of education's website, >> but I guess your contention is this is more useful. >> It is for me because uh how would I compare if we're who would be a good example here? Maybe uh I don't want to call out any district, so I'll just say >> feel free to call out a district. I understand that it would that it doesn't make sense to compare a large district to a small district, but maybe I I was just interested in maybe some of the the the five largest districts, you know, how do they compare something like that? >> Yeah, Emmery School District is pretty small, but you can see they have a lot of general obligation debt. [clears throat] >> Pass the bond, didn't they? >> I don't know. But yeah, I find this per student to be more useful because then it it it's an equalizer across the state. If you have a a school that has one a charter school, for example, that has a hundred students, but they have $10 million in debt, does that 10 million really mean much if I compare it to Alpine? >> Why does Park say they have so much debt when they have so much money? >> [laughter] >> That's rhetorical, but >> thank you. >> That's rhetorical, but >> I I'm not sure. >> I'm not sure why. >> However, they did just rebuild some schools. I think >> it may be good to note on here if anyone does go to the USB website and look at the total debt number that Mr. Barnett was talking about, we do exclude the URS debt. USB will include U. Sorry. URS is Utah Retirement Systems. So the state of Utah and accounting rules require that the local governments report their portion of the state's retirement debt. We've excluded that from here because that has no basis on any decision that this board or prior boards has made. Because capital projects has a lot of one-time money, the this line chart tends to bounce around a bit. And you can tell that [clears throat] uh our fund balance has certainly been higher than anticipated. and that has been uh as you know due to the uh anticipated West Jordan High School project. So I'm excited to see that move forward and you can tell the fund balance coming down here as we start to increase our spending to um redo that school. of note, I'll just um the board had taken some action recently to approve some things that are not explicitly in this budget. And I believe that's okay. But I just want you to know uh so you're aware. The reason I believe it's okay is because a budget is a living, breathing document. It's going to change. We know it's going to change very rapidly because we're about to get hopefully soon those state tax rates, but just so you're aware, the Bingham High School turf field replacement is not in the budget. The additional $9 million for the West Jordan High School remodel is not explicitly in the budget. And the Elkridge Middle School lighting and sound upgrade is in the budget, but it was in at an estimated amount, not at its actual amount. So those three things happened after we had to close off the timing of of the creation of all of these numbers. So we'll be amending the budget a year from now to incorporate those changes. Uh, like I mentioned, West Jordan High School's in here. It's a multi-year project. We'll be talking about that for a few years till its anticipated completion date of November of 29. Uh, paid for with existing fund balance. And as a reminder, two reductions in our spending to land and summer project budgets. There is included in this budget for next year a balloon payment on the qualified school construction bonds, otherwise known as QCBS, which is a lease revenue bond, which we call LRBs, to completely pay off the bond. So, next year, part of the 27 budget is a $9 million balloon payment to pay off those bonds. And then you'll see that debt number come down even more. nutrition services. Again, this is one of the largest uh changes for this coming up uh next year is the meal price increases. They are listed there in their various amounts. Um elementary student lunches a quarter, secondary lunches 30 cents, adult lunches 90, and breakfast a quarter 30 and0 cents respectively. So it was three years ago when we last increased the meal prices. >> And how soon before that? >> Uh before that it was 14 years before that. >> Yeah, we don't have a history of doing this often. We I mean we we try not to uh but we are in a situation where we feel like we need to as this next chart will demonstrate. It seems to me there's a good number of people out there helping kids who can't afford a lunch in a variety of different ways. Is that true? >> You know that that's true. >> I I don't know. I have heard many different um >> I watched discussions about it, but >> yeah, it doesn't seem to have it seems to have a lot more conversation than it has actual dollars behind it. So, do you know off the top of your head when? So, right now, free or reduced lunches are all free, right? But that sunsets. Do you know when that happens? >> That bill that created that, I believe, is up every year. They they just review it every year to bring it up. Does that sound right? >> Yeah. So the bill that does that is with state income tax money with state funds I should say and uh once those funds are depleted for a year then the reduced price would come into effect again but we didn't see that happen last year but if we did have more need for that than the funds set aside by the legislature those reduced funds rates would go into effect. >> Thanks. >> So this is that line chart I was talking about. You can see the expenditures are anticipated to be quite a bit higher than the revenues. You can see the revenues have dropped quite a bit. That is due to several factors with state, federal, and local sources all coming down on those. The target balance here is roughly $10 million. So we do have, if you look at our history, the fund balance is certainly been higher than the target. The challenge is the rate of uh decline here and trying to act before it declines too far. We will find out this summer about federal and state funding. Hopefully federal and state dollars have u increased will be increasing to help us in this area. >> Mr. Laren, does this chart reflect the meal price increase? >> Yes. This might be a good chart to remind the board too that um there is a natural bias on the budget of overstating expenditures. And the reason for that is it's illegal to go over budget. And yet when you have something volatile, you can aim right at it, but if you miss it by a dollar, you have broken the law. So there is a natural bias to try to aim high on expenditures to overcome that. Let's see that be 6 7 million. So that the loss there looks like it's anticipating 7 million for the year. and my calculations would say that that's in line with the worstc case scenario. So, we're hoping that that will come down once we get once we finish off the year. It may be intriguing to some to think, well, here it is June 9th, the year ends June 30th. How come we not be closer? Well, a lot of things happen in the next month and two months as we receive funds that have been owed to us and receive bills that that uh we need to pay as well. Self- insurance fund. This is uh the district is self-insured. We are the insurance company. It is interesting. I've had a couple of employees say something to the effect of, "Well, in the insurance company will just pay for it anyways." Well, that's us. That is that's coming out of our um uh future pay increases. So, we we do like to see people get the help that they need, but we also like people to act wisely as they do so. This is not just health insurance. This does include our workers compensation, disability, and life insuranceances as well. The major change here is the $25 million transfer in from the general fund. That is why this uh revenue piece has gone up so much for this year. But with that $25 million transfer, we're anticipating a $20 million fund balance for the insurance fund. And again, that same bias holds true for the insurance fund where we try to estimate high on this, we have seen even if this is estimated high, you can see that is flattening out from where we where we were um and the projections that we've received into the future as well. So, we do believe we're on a good track here and it will be interesting to see where this lands. Um, I mentioned it's June 9th and we're close to the end of the year, but remember a lot of our uh insurance bills and premiums come in during the summer and that is because our insurance year is through August 31st. So, those get reported on our fiscal year. So we will report those uh insurance premiums received and all the bills come through through a August 31st as a payable because there is certainly a concept of the bills lag and take time and so those are represented as payables. I do not anticipate this large of a loss or this much of a difference. I shouldn't say lost because that $25 million transfer. I'm I'm hopeful the insurance fund may break even this year. I thought it might be interesting for the board to just have a slide of the summary of changes for this year. The $25 million transfer for the current fiscal year. We are changing our open enrollment is moving to July 20th to August 20th for a September 1 plan year. Now if you think about that that's a bit crazy 10 days before [laughter] uh but the hope here is moving it from the end of the school year to the beginning of the school year will be better for our employees. We sincerely hope it is. The one part that we uh do know will be a bit new is there won't be time for someone who changes their plan to receive a new card. But the internet is a wonderful thing and with your account with PHP you can print your own card. So we may have to help a lot of employees through that process. Summary of changes co-pays increasing between five and 10. deductibles increasing uh 250, 500, 750. That's the um employee only, two-party and family deductibles. Out of pocket maximums have been increased. The low end was $500 for the base plus plan, the employee only, and increasing $4,000 for those on the star family plan. A very large change was [clears throat] the afterdeductible cost sharing ratio. It has been 8020. The committee uh determined that they would like to encourage people to go to nonhosp clinics in order to save employees money and save our plan money. And so if someone chooses to go to the hospital for non-emergency labs, imaging or other services, their cost sharing would increase from the 20% to the 30%. But if they choose to go to a non-hosp location, uh the plan will pick it up uh 10% more than we normally would have. >> And do we have um convenient options for clinics that are in network for employees? Yes. And PHP has those listed on their website as well. People can go look for to find those. Uh many of them are located right next to the hospital. And if someone I I'll say this for the board, but anyone listening or who may come to this later, if you're having difficulty with any of that, would you please reach out to the insurance department? They would like to help you with that. If you don't know where to go or navigating any of this, please reach out to them. They would very much like to help you with that. All health insurance plan premiums are increasing. The district's paying 77.4% of the overall premium increase. There is a 3% higher employee premium if the employees is selecting the advantage plan over the summit plan. The industrial insurance premium will be increasing from.1% to 2%. To help pay for our workers comp claims, I also wondered if it might help the board and employees to have a summary here of how employees can save money. We have recently partnered with Medallis for free primary care and urgent care visits at any of their eight clinics. There are two within the district and there are six nearby because many of our employees don't actually live in the district. They commute in. That is a great way for employees to save on healthcare. Here's some suggestions on pharmacy um to always ask the pharmacist for generic or bioimilar. If there is no generic available, please check to see if it's offered through CRX. Please use mail order through express scripts. If you can't use mail order, please uh ask for the insurance price, good RX price, and the cash price. They can change daily. I've actually heard it can change several times a day. So, you always want to ask for the different prices because uh prescription costs are um changing rapidly. um doctor visits using teleaalth like such as inner mountain connect and that is available for both networks both the summit and advantage uh PHP value providers and that cashback co-ay map that I referenced earlier about where you can find those and a great way to save money is if you if you need a lab colonoscopy or an image uh there are places to do those outside of the hospital that will cost a very small fraction of what the hospital will charge. And as always, please call insurance department for help. I hope this slide helps. Maybe if board members if you get questions, but um anyone that may listen to this as well. That is the self insurance fund. Okay. Next one is the pass through taxes fund. This is the most boring fund of all of them. This is simply the taxes that that we are required by uh those at the state to show that we never received. So we never received this money. We never spent this money, but we're required to show it because it was uh part of our tax rate that was diverted to go to other entities such as charter schools and um cities for redevelopment agencies. and those kind of things. >> Well, can you explain why we even do that? Like why are we imposing a tax that passes through us >> there? That might not be answerable, but give it a shot. >> Why do we have to report it? >> Well, why do why do some taxes flow through us, but we're not we're not capturing it? They these are taxes that the board or prior boards had chosen to give up some tax money to incentivize a project from going to move forward. >> So like the merit medical >> merit medical would be a good example of that. Yep. And there are examples where the board didn't choose to do it either but the state forced it. >> Did it anyways. >> Yes. And so this has a combination of all of those. But once those happen, the county is directed to set aside those funds and send them directly to the receiving entity. But the state auditor's office many years ago determined that local government should be reporting these as though they received them and then sent them on to the entity. I'm going to guess that the reason for that is so the local governing boards had an idea about how much money was in this grouping, how much money was being passed on. Th >> this is something we need the legislators to fix, I think. I mean, I don't know. I have some strong feelings here. I'll keep them to myself. Well, I never keep nothing to myself, but I'll have it save it for another time. Part of this is also the uh charter school money that we're required to pass on pass through. This is a chart of those charter school uh taxes. Charter schools, as a reminder, charter schools are funded like 99% with income tax dollars and 1% with property tax dollars. This is the 1% here that we're required to pass on through to them. Um whereas the school district based on that earlier chart we had uh many charts ago we have a mix of state dollars and property tax dollars funding us. Charter schools are funded similar total dollars but the mix is very different 99% income tax and like 1% property tax. >> So because of that they get the inflationary increase with the income tax going up where we don't with property tax. Well, they're funded the same though with the WPU, with um other grants and things that we have. They just receive other funding sources that are meant to mimic the property taxes that we receive so that they can receive them. And yet what it's mimicking or how it's being paid is through income tax dollars. So there's this calculation done to say, well, okay, in general, school districts are getting this much property tax, so let's make this much income tax available to charter schools to offset that. So they're not getting a a greater inflationary increase than we would be receiving because it's all kind of in that same calculation mix of trying to keep things uh similar. >> Gotcha. I think the key point there is just knowing that it's different. How we're funded is different. We have it may be good to point out that this has been coming this came down for this year even though the charter school one went up. So those pass through taxes we were talking about earlier have been coming down. In fact, I think I had written down here calculated somewhere. Yep, there it is. 10% 10% of property taxes go through this fund to other agencies. What's not reflected there is the increase in property values because of the development, right? And I we need to remember that that this is what we're not gaining in taxes, but the end product is higher property values that are taxed and that money is going to come into us. So it really is an investment in our future. >> That's exactly the concept of doing this. And if you remember way back at the beginning that assessed valuation per student was going up. That is part of it. Jordan Education Foundation is uh part of our reported funds. They support the mission of the district with community outreach. And here's their line chart. Again, we try to increase their expenditure number so that if they choose to spend some of the funds that they have raised, they can. And then student activities fund. This is the student fees. Registration fees were eliminated this current year and next year some of the curricular fees will be eliminated. But this also includes the student activities, donations, fundraisers, uh student travel, those types of events. We are seeing that fund projected to come down, but also in a similar fashion. All this money that they have, they are authorized to spend it. So, we're trying to uh acknowledge the fact that that could go up, but to Mr. Dunford's point, I believe it was a few weeks ago, a few months ago, maybe this was quite a bit higher back in the past. I just was trying to pull up previous board presentations. This is so pleasing to me because when I first got on the board, the budget, the carryover budget in that account was astronomical, which meant we were holding on to money that we'd taken from students. And so we really put some imple we implemented some procedures to say, let's spend this year's students on or this year's money on this year's students. So to see where we're at is so pleasing to me. >> Yeah, this is definitely a success story. this fund. All right. So, tax rates, the tax rates for next year will reflect a certified tax rate with Jordan district being revenue neutral plus any of the new growth. But the actual tax rate, we still don't have it. Uh the county and the state tax commission are still trying to figure out the assessed valuation and certified tax rates. Sometimes in prior years, we've received it like hours before this presentation. So, there's been a scramble, but we didn't receive it in time today. So, um, one of the motions today is for you to authorize us to just enact the certified tax rate as it comes in. And that is not unusual. That's been the case for a long time. The one of the things that's interesting about this is you will hear people ask questions about well how why is it so hard to put this together and it's like well we don't even know the tax rates here June 9th we're doing the budget hearing and we don't know the tax rates. >> So how do they expect us to make decisions like truth and taxations earlier and earlier without getting this information to us? >> Yeah, that is a very good question. That's been one of the struggles in trying to weigh the different um desires of accurate information and public knowledge sooner. How do we do that? So, this year in the legislature, they did pass a couple of bills trying to balance that by having the board requiring boards to announce in May whether or not they're going to whether they think they're going to raise taxes or not. That was one of those balancing acts that they put together is saying, "Well, if you think you're going to need more money, could you please announce that in May and give us an estimate how much even if you don't have the actual numbers till later?" >> And can we announce it and then pull it off the table? >> Yes. But you can't not announce it >> and put it on the table >> and then Yes. This chart is just meant to remind you what certified tax rates are. all the previous existing property times the certified tax rate is equal to the prior year revenue. If there's reassessments up or down, the certified tax rate will adjust up or down. So to maintain revenue neutrality, uh there is no inflationary component. New construction or new growth does give us new money though. The state basic levy is considered uh the legislative session is considered a truth and taxation hearing and so it's considered a certified tax rate and the debt levy is considered a certified tax rate because that debt is approved by the voters. >> Can I ask a question about new growth money? New growth money only counts for that year, right? Correct. >> Well, it it counts that year, but then it's part of the calculus now for the next year. >> Next year. >> So >> So when they say like when someone says like, "Hey, you always get this new growth money." Well, new growth money is for that year and then it's recalculated the next. >> Yes. So you get the addition, but then it's revenue neutral from there. You don't keep getting it. it it you get it the year it comes in and then it's revenue neutral until there's a truth and taxation hearing to increase it. Does that help? >> Yeah, it does a lot. And that's mostly people are moving in and so we have to give services to them, right? And so and so that's why that new growth money is there. But then the next year we're going to recalculate it with businesses and all the other taxpayers. >> Yeah. It's this previously existing property values. So we we a as we get more properties built, there will surely be more property tax money coming in. Um how how much to bank on that or to anticipate that is a good question. Um, but we do have a lot of open land. So, I anticipate we'll get new growth for a long time. >> We'll get new growth, but we won't per se get more money. Correct. >> No, we would get more money. Well, I mean, some people think that when a lot more people move in, um, we get a a whole lot more money. I don't know what I'm asking. >> The assessed value is the same. We get the same amount and when someone moves in with kids, then then we get the WPU increase. But >> what he's saying is as the assessed value increases, the tax rate decreases. So it doesn't matter if your assessed value is massively big, you're going to set the you're going to get the same revenue outside of that new growth. >> Outside of the new growth that So are you talking reassessments? >> Yes, I guess I that's what I'm saying. What Bryce is saying is what I was saying. >> So if there is new property being buil built, we will get property tax money on that. But then if it's reassessed and some the county assessor says, "Well, I think your property is worth more than that." We won't get more money on that. >> Correct. >> Um because that's part of that overall calculation to I hope this doesn't overly complicate it. But one of the complications in talking to people about this is that a lot of the tax rate, in fact, I'm going to skip to this next slide to point this out at the bottom. 68.8 8% of the taxes that are on our tax list is among those that the legislature says, "Hey, we need you to do this and we're going to incentivize you heavily to do it." So 68.8% of our taxes if if we um get new growth in those areas, we get more property taxes, but we'll actually receive less state income tax from the state. And maybe that's where you were thinking about, well, we don't necessarily get new money on it if it's one of those tax rates. We it's just going to benefit the state by uh giving us less income tax. >> Property tax code is the most complicated, confusing thing. And I think if he had a PhD, you still wouldn't understand it. So, because I don't. >> But there is one thing I would like to add to Mr. Robinson's comments and that is the the challenge that Jordan district has faced for decades is we have been a rural district and we've been reliant on residential property taxes because that's what we have is homes. As we are building up our commercial base, as the commercial base of the Salt Lake Valley begins shifting out west and to the south, those tax revenues will increase because businesses give more of a percentage than homes. So, as we improve, as we increase our commercial base, our taxes will increase. But if we were to remain a residential area, that's been the challenge that Jordan has faced. As you look at our neighboring districts that have much more of an urban residential or a commercial base, that's why their taxes are so high or their revenues are much higher. >> But is it also true that some of these com the commercial growth we're not getting the property taxes on right away >> temporarily? And that's the investment is we're going to we're going to forego some right now for a much bigger investment later, >> 30 years later. some we try to get those lower. The process the legislature has outlined has allowed us to negotiate many of those down to be >> we also haven't approved one for a long long time. >> There has not been one for a few >> I was thinking about that the other day. >> Yeah, it it's been amazing. Um and we have one that I I think was brilliant that was just 10 years long. I think it's the shining star actually among all of them that we've done. This chart I go back to it though what Mr. Dunford was saying is we we tend to have a higher percentage of homes in our district. Well, if if there was a home built in 1970 and it and it it brought in X amount of dollars to the school district in 2026, it's going to bring in the exact same amount as it did in 1970. No. >> No. Because there were there were things that happened between 1970 and now that would have readjusted the certified rate such as truth and taxations and property value increases that are disproportionate among the entire community. So that home in 1970, it may have increased in value by um 50%. But another home may have increased 100% in value and another home may have only increased 20% in value. They're all increasing in various levels. And what the certified tax rate process is trying to do is say we're going to take all of those differences and alto together as a Jordan school district community it won't be higher than it was prior to that. But individual units of that among the you know 200,000 of those individual units there's going to be ups and downs along the way. So we don't it could be a year we don't increase your taxes but your taxes might go up. >> Yes. Yes. And it could be Yeah. We don't increase tax. There could be a year where we increase taxes and somebody's taxes go down. because it's a community approach, not an individual taxpayer approach. This slide is not as helpful as we had hoped because we don't have those certified rates here, but you can see some of the past history and you can see the rates have been falling and that is because the assessed valuation goes up. So the rates come down to maintain that revenue neutrality. This is the slide per $100,000. So you can see how much uh taxes are going to each of the different areas. This dark blue is that statewide basic school levy. This green is the voted and board levies that are incentivized by the state. The yellow is that portion of our property taxes that we're required to send in for charter schools. That's that 1% funding I was talking about. The red is the debt rate. And then the orange is the capital rate. And then that purple on top is the additional amount that the board has levied above all of those for operations to do specific things. [clears throat] You can see that it's been quite low. This the purple becomes the the piece that increases with a tax increase or falls without a tax increase. In asterisk here, you can see the truth and taxations that were held and when they were. Now, this is on a per $100,000 home value. Why do we do that? Because everybody home is valued differently, but most people can take that and take an estimate of their home. In the budget book, we do have an average home value that's listed there. if you want to look at that. It does show uh quite a quite a story as well. Let's see here. No truth and taxation hearing is scheduled this year. So, there's another boring slide. >> Not that boring. >> Excitement. [laughter] >> Love that slide. And here is the uh board action that I would request the board to take tonight is uh first approve that one-time transfer of the 25 million from the general fund to the self- insurance fund for the current year and then adopt the final amended budget for this current year and then approving the meal price increase for the nutrition services fund and then adopt the proposed budget for next year. And then the last one, which we do every year because there's always changes here, but authorize any budget adjustments necessary to reflect funds received from the certified tax rate. So that's just saying capture what the county auditor says you can capture without doing a tax increase. And with that, I can take any questions. I do have a question slide here, but I'll I'll put it back here on this other motion slide if you don't have questions. >> You you made a comment about West Jordan High School, which we approved last week, but I just want to get it on a a bigger point on record this board meeting. We're going to spend is it $87 million to improve that school? >> And what's about the going rate if we were to demolish it and rebuild it? Well, there's some debate about that, but but I would say it's well over 200 million. >> I think 300 million, is it? >> I think West High and Highland High School, I think, are three mill 300 million. >> They are, but they include some other things in it that are uh >> like filled houses and stuff >> and swimming pools. Yeah. So, uh I I go with well over 200. Some have estimated 300 million. on even being conservative. How much money did we save by taking a structure? By the way, people say West Jordan and Bingham High are old, but like I think they built that the year I graduated, so I don't think I'm that old, but um how much just be conservative like how much give us a range of how much we saved taxpayers in that move and in >> 130 million at least >> and maybe as much as 200. And then you times that by two schools. >> Yeah. And I might add another talking point. I remember when we rebuilt West Jordan Middle School, there was some angst over losing a um a significant building of the community. So in addition to the money saved, we retain the significant building of the community. amazing. >> The community identity, the history, >> somewhere shy of a half a billion dollars were saved. And I would just say that a lot of that has to do not with great board members, but great people like you, John, business administrator, superintendent, associate superintendent, who advise us along the way. I think that I am so excited for West Jordan and the rebuild and what we did at Bingham. I walk through those halls on a regular basis. We've done really well on that. Um I think this is why our budget is so amazing because we have good people like you um that work with us. Thank you. >> Thank you. I I also when I walk through being a mom very pleased from what from where it came from. >> We did good there. >> She was beautiful back then. Let's not be. [laughter] >> Yes. She has a spice of the old old and the new put together in a brilliant way. >> You're talking about my dear mother, so be careful. [laughter] >> All right, board. I'm going to leave uh the board action up and uh if you have other questions, let me know. >> Thank you. Thank you. We know it takes a village to do this work. We are so grateful to the expertise and guidance that we receive from you. Um, so let's turn now to patron comments. Is there I don't see anyone signed up, but is there anyone who intended to speak to this agenda item that didn't get a chance to sign up? Okay, hearing none, let's move into action by the board. I will take a motion. Can we have some discussion? I'd like to highlight a few things before the motion. Is that okay? >> Sure. >> Um, I just want to reiterate some of what Mr. Larson said. Not nothing I say will necessarily be new because he did such a thorough um summary, but on page six of our budget book, Mr. Larson did mention that the property tax per average home value. Um, when you look at this chart, it has gone down every year since 2223. The average home owner in our district since 2223 has actually paid $130 less cumulatively over the last three years. So, I know that there are some folks who may be listening or in the community who say, "My property taxes go up every year." And I would just say on average the property taxes levied by your school district have cost you $130 less. The other thing I want to highlight is that in the Jordan school district, when you compare us to like districts, large districts in the Wasatch Front, um our tax rate is the second lowest, second to Salt Lake, which Mr. Larson gave good context for why their rate would be lower. Um, Jordan School District is the second lowest when compared to to all others. I also want to emphasize um our long-term debt is also the second lowest. And I'm really proud to be a board member in the school district that is so fiscally responsible and careful with taxpayer dollars. And I have something to say also um about the budget book and something that I thought was interesting. Um, I've just the life I have chosen, I have had the opportunity to talk to a lot of people throughout my community. And um, I frequently heard people talk about how topheavy the school district is and how much money is being spent on um, district administration. And it on page 12, if you look at the expenditures for instruction, it's 458,111,354. And then for general district administration, 4,8 or 4,833,69. And that's approximately 1% of the um of the instruction budget. And I just feel like that shows that it is not topheavy. Um, and one of my very favorite picture uh pages in it's two pages in the budget book is 54 and 55 where there are just where we can compare our stats with comparable districts and also Nebo and um Salt Lake. So um and I just think it is very interesting how Jordan comes across. We are on lower than average elementary school class size, lower than average um secondary class size. Um lower than average like almost the lowest and and when I say lower than average we are almost the lowest studenttoteer ratio. um just everything even the um anyway I just think it's interesting because class size is something that I um I feel some like I I'm interested in I'm very interested in it and to see how we compare with other school districts and the state and charter schools and anyway I just think it's very interesting so 54 and 55 a couple my favorite pages to look at in the budget book. >> Can I add to that, Lisa, because I've been looking at where we stand nationally as a state and as a school district, and Utah is among the lowest in administrative costs in schools in the nation. And we're very strong and low in our in our state, which means compare us to the whole nation, we are extremely extremely conservative here. So, thank you for your comments. You might be interested on that page 55 that Salt Lake District is down to 18,000 students. I did a quick calculation. Um 8.5% of all students in the state of Utah attend Jordan School District. 8.5%. Out of 44 districts, 41 42 >> 41 soon to be 43. >> So when Alpine splits, will we be second largest? Second large. >> We try harder because we're number two. Yes. Well, and another thing that is interesting is [clears throat] as of um I guess June 30th, well, I don't know when exactly this happened, but I just think it's interesting that Granite District is 57,038 and we are 57,083 students. [laughter] I like numbers. One more note. I love the budget book. It has so much useful information on page 10. If you I don't know how many times I've had to answer the question about student staffing. Um what what what percentage at what level? There it is in your at your fingertips. So you can see where kindergarten versus elementary versus secondary. Those are our staffing rates. It was just a few weeks ago I was called to a school and we talked about that very thing and I was able to pull out the budget book and say that's our staffing ratio. So a lot of I would encourage each board member to become very familiar with the budget book. In a few months we'll get the ACER that's another fascinating book to look through at our actual expenditures. But our district does a tremendous job of providing some incredible information in this budget book. I would say also that we need to do something about the misperceptions in the community because they watch the news and the news doesn't really look at this very closely and I know for me I used to believe in Taj Mahal philosophies and over administration ideas and I just believed that because it was told to me and I just think we need to be a little bit more intentional on it on educating the public of where we really stand. And I know that we have some things in in the works that Suzanne has been working on and others and and I just think that there's some misperceptions especially listening to field health discussions. There's a lot of mis misperceptions of people especially because the the property tax is so complicated. I just think that we need to be a little bit more aggressive and in letting people know where they stand with our school district. So, I'll get off my soap box. Now, >> I was just going to add in case I I think you all know that I don't put together this budget book. I look at it. I like it, but I don't put it together. [laughter] Jason Ma puts it together and spends a lot of time putting together the entire budget and uh pulling things together. Now, I don't Dan Ellis also deserves some recognition here because he's uh organizing the entire department, its operations. But all of this is a good team. It's I just get the privilege of working with them. By the way, I'm going to mention this and embarrass him, but Dr. Godfrey is an excellent member of that team as well. I appreciate working with him and appreciate his introduction. >> [clears throat] >> I think we should give him a round of applause. [applause] >> Is this where we do the motions now? Okay. Uh I move that we approve the one-time $25 million transfer from the general fund to the self insurance fund for the 202526 fiscal year. I second. >> We have a motion by Miss Wood, second by Mr. Dunford to approve the one-time $25 million transfer from the general fund to the self- insurance fund for the 2526 fiscal fiscal year. Is there discussion to that agenda item? I just wanted to say thank you to our finance committee and to our business administrator for pointing out things like this that would be a benefit right that maybe we're not thinking of that's not at front of mind that hey we could use a transfer here and then we you guys discuss it and you bring it to the board and let us know what's going on and I really appreciate uh the footwork that you guys do in the background. So thing >> this is also a great blessing to our employees that don't have to absorb a cost um when we can finance the cost. I agree with all of that. But is there other discussion? Okay. Hearing none. All in favor of the motion please say I. >> I. >> And any opposed? Right. That motion carries unanimously. I move that we adopt the 202526 final amended budget. >> I second. >> We have a motion by Miss Dean, second by Mr. Dunford that we adopt the 2526 final amended budget. There discussion to that motion hearing none. All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> I. >> And any opposed? The motion carries unanimously. I move that we approve the meal price increases for the nutritional services fund. >> A second. >> We have a motion by Miss Wood, a second by Mr. Dunford to authorize the meal price increase for nutrition services fund. Is there discussion to that motion? Um, we did have a presentation by nutrition services a month or so ago and there were some ideas presented on how to streamline that that operation. When should the board expect to hear back on some of those ideas moving forward with some we in that presentation there were multi-year ideas. uh they are moving forward with that first year set and I believe those will be implemented um by the time school starts. The future years have not been implemented. The board did mention at that time before implementing those they would like further discussion. So we're we're on hold on that for two reasons. One board's request. Two that was uh kind of wait and see measures down the road as well. Anything else? All right. All those in favor of the motion, please say I. I. >> I. >> And any opposed? >> That motion carries unanimously. >> I move that we adopt the 2026 27 proposed budget. >> I second. >> We have a motion by Miss Dean, second by Mr. Denver that we adopt the 202627 proposed budget. Is there discussion? >> I chose the short motions. [laughter] >> Nicely done. >> All right. Hearing no other discussion, all those in favor, please say I. I. >> I. >> And any opposed. >> Right. That motion carries unanimously. I move that we authorize any budget adjustments necessary to reflect the funds received from the certified tax rate. >> I second a motion by Miss Wood, a second by Mr. Deford that we authorize any budget adjustments necessary to reflect funds received from the certified tax rate. Any discussion there? >> Mr. Larson, you mentioned this was uh a normal and regular thing to to authorize seems it's not that I don't trust you or your team, but it it just seems a little I don't know scary to authorize any budget adjustments. >> Yeah. What this what this means is that when we receive the certified tax rate, we receive data on new growth numbers. uh re we receive all these property tax informations and then along with that because if we receive additional funds in some of those categories like we talked about we have reductions of state funds we're going to receive. So it's all of those offsets that we see uh from the certified tax rate. So those are the the adjustments we're talking about. >> Yeah. So there >> and >> the adjustments are tied specifically specifically to the receipt of the funds associated with the certified tax rate, >> right? >> There's not there's not um funds being transferred here and there and there's not new budgets being created. >> No, the expenditures generally will stay exactly the same with the one exception of that um remember that unassigned line where we have to move that up. that may change, but generally the expenditures stay very they're exactly the same. It's it's done through the revenues. >> And one of the main reasons for this motion is because we are required by law to submit our budget before we have all the information to put in that budget. >> Yeah. >> Otherwise, we would have to meet again prior to submitting our final budget. >> That's correct. I would I would rather vote on this than meet again. [laughter] >> You've convinced him. >> All right. Any additional discussion on that one? Okay. Uh all those in favor of the motion, please say I. >> I. And any opposed? >> Right. That motion carries unanimously. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. We are so grateful. Okay, we that concludes our budget hearing section of the evening. Um we are now only a few minutes late going to begin our general session. Um and we will go ahead and start with board member recognitions. I'll start. And I just wanted to thank all of the [sighs] administration and staff and teachers who helped with graduations this past week. Um I wasn't feeling well leading up to graduation week and so I was almost like I can't wait for it to be done. But thank goodness by the time Monday rolled around I was feeling much better and was able to enjoy all of the graduations I attended. Um, I had the privilege of speaking at Valley High School's graduation and just loved uh attending that one and I was also able to attend Bingham and Copper Hills as well as uh our South Valley School graduation. And it's always such a wonderful, beautiful uh energy and atmosphere there celebrating our students and all of their hard work and and seeing the the love and support that they have. So, it was a really great week. >> I'd like to recognize Principal Beth Pollock and her team at South Jordan Elementary who pulled off a really special experience for their students. They received a lastm minute request from some of our Olympians in Utah. And so they pulled together um a group of Olympians to come and speak and interact with their students at South Jordan Elementary on one of the very last days of school. So just want to recognize her in those efforts to pull that off for her students to have such a meaningful experience at the end of the school year. Um, and I always like to recognize the West Jordan Community Band. Um, I even saw Mr. Larson there. It was outstanding. The concert was um on May 29th and it is it is really um the only word I can think of is cool. It's really cool to see um so many educators and administrators, well at least one administrator who is the conductor, but playing with students in this community band and also with other members of the community. But there are a lot of people who are associated with Jordan School District um [clears throat] doing this thing for the community that is really amazing and I I don't know. I just I really like it. And I want to um also second what Erin said. I really appreciate people putting together meaningful graduation ceremonies for our students and I really appreciate being able to attend the the graduations and I appreciate all the people who have worked so hard to especially our students to get them to the point where they are graduate. uating and seeing them in in mass gives me so much hope for our future and I really appreciate how wonderful our students are and how they improve our communities and their families and our state and the world in general. So, I really appreciate our graduates and the people who help them get there. Um, also I want to recognize West Jordan City for getting the H Heartland, well, I don't know if it's called the H Heartland Bridge, but the walking bridge from across 70th to Hartland. What a cooperative effort. And I appreciate the district. Well, it was us that approved donating that little piece of land so they could build it there. Um, but anyway, I appreciate being able to be part of that little contribution, but I really am thankful that the city did that. I um [clears throat] I think that will be such a benefit to the neighborhood and to the students. And um I think that that is all. Anyway, thanks. Oh, actually I have one more thing. at the JLC um uh delegate assembly. I really appreciate how Aaron spoke up and made good points as I know you're not like a complete rookie, but I I think you're kind of a rookie to JLC. I appreciate you having the confidence and I know we're not supposed to make this about personnel, [laughter] but thank you. I appreciated that. Keep it up. Keep up the good work. >> Is not a rookie. Rookie of the year maybe, but not a rookie. >> I'll just add one more. Um, we all attended several graduations and it can be a huge payday. It can also be an emotional toll. There is such good energy and every graduate deserves enthusiasm from us. But I just want to call out Dr. Godfrey who attended almost every graduation ceremony and spoke at all but one. So that was a huge amount of work and I think it meant a lot to our graduates. I even saw a few memes floating around afterwards. So you really left an impact. Thank you for your efforts there and for your leadership. I remember a scary decision when we chose to lighten up a little on our graduation regalia requirements. And I am always so happy to see the way that our students have implemented um with grace and taste uh those adjustments. They are so respectful. They are beautiful. And it is really the privilege of board work to be able to be the first person to say congratulations and welcome them to adulthood. And with that emotional sppy thing, let's move into superintendence recognitions. >> Well, I will just extend what you said. I'm grateful to the board for making the decision not only to allow for the regalia to look the way it does, but also to extend our graduations to two days. It really allows people to It allows you to attend multiple if you'd like and it's worked out really nicely for us to be able to do that. Um I loved going to those five. Um I had a I had a great time and >> [snorts] >> um it really is rewarding and our it's great to hear you speak. Every speech was unique and really enjoyable to hear from board members. Um, I love hearing from the students. I love hearing from the principal. I think every principal speech was a home run this year. We got to see four principles give a graduation speech for the first time. That was really exciting and they all did well. Um it's and it's fun to see the support gathered in that building and all the parents and family and faculty who have contributed to uh to to that success. So it's it's a thrill. I'm I'm I always look forward to being able to be a part of that. So thank you very much for making that possible. >> And timing is awesome among all of them. It's about almost down to two hours. That's walking in and an hour of handing out diplomas. >> Yeah, they've they've really honed it. They've done a nice job. So, thank you for everything you've done to support that and participate in it. >> Okay. Um before I go into reading the public comment um announcements or um procedures, I just want to check there's no one signed up to speak in person. Is there anyone here tonight that was hoping to speak for public comment that didn't see the sign up? Okay. Hearing none, Mr. Larson, do we have any emailed comments? Okay, then I will save you from my regular speech. Let's move into a motion to approve the consent agenda item. I move that we approve the minutes. Oh, the board minutes. I mean, except I Sorry. Okay. I move that we approve the board minutes. >> I'll second. >> We have a motion by Miss Dean, a second by Miss Wood that we approve the consent agenda item board minutes. Is there any discussion to that motion? >> Yeah, I have one. Um, at the end of a the last paragraph says, Mr. Robinson said he is concerned with the space at the school if the board later decides to add 9th grade students and ask if the board could vote on alternate uh the alternate separately. So, I think that's phrased a little bit wrong. I was concerned if we add on the extra space at West Jordan High School that and we didn't bring ninth graders up that we're un that we're adding on additional space. So I would just maybe make do I need to make a substitute motion to make a correction or can we just have a correction made? >> Mr. Robinson, we made the correction that we talked about. Is that not >> um >> that not reflected? I just refreshed it and that's what mine still says. Have we got the correction for the public record? >> I think so. Do you want me to read what I have? >> Yeah, read what you have. >> Daryl Robinson requested a separate motion for the bid alternates. He expressed concern about adding classroom space at West Jordan High School if it is later decided decided not to add 9th graders. He preferred to remove bid option one from the motion. >> Yeah, it's exactly what I wanted to say and it's just on my copy. I refreshed it and it just >> it's not there. >> So, as long as that's the reflection, then I'm okay with it. >> Perfect. Any other discussion there? Okay, let's vote on that motion. All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> And any opposed? Okay, that motion carries unanimously. >> Move that we accept the consent agenda items 6 A through 6 C. Would you like me to list those? >> No, you're okay. >> Okay, I'll second. >> Right. We have a motion by Miss Barrow, second by Miss Dean that we accept the consent agenda items 6 A, B, and C. Is there discussion? [clears throat] Okay, hearing none. All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> And any opposed? That motion carries unanimously. Let's move into bids. I move that we accept. Can I bundle the two information systems together? Does anyone want me to do them separately? with that >> uh that we approve the bids for information systems Windows device management software Ivante and PaloAlto firewall three-year support and pro services. Second a motion by Miss Wood, second by Miss Barrow, uh to accept the bids for information systems, Windows device management software, Vonte, and information systems Paulo Alto firewall three-year support and pro services. Is there discussion? I do have some questions on these bids if there's anyone here to speak to that. Um on the first one, the software renewal, um h because it says it's only for like extending it for one year. How many years was the original like license partnership for >> that? I am not sure of. >> Excellent question. You get the duo today. Now, um we've been using Avanti for about 10 years now. Um we've had in the beginning, I think we started out with a 5-year contract and then we've been doing um threeear and one-year renewals. Um this one was short because we one year because we went through a whole RFI process and compared other products u where we narrowed it down to two products. One of those is our current product. one year and make sure that we made the right choice before we dive into any uh extended contract again. >> Okay. So, we could expect to see this again in a year, maybe a change, maybe staying with the same system depending on >> Yes. >> It's okay. Great. And then I have a question on the firewall system. Um there was only it looked like there was only one bid um that came through. Is that out of the ordinary? Is that concerning? >> Um that is not unusual. So, um, the vendors themselves, um, identify what's called a preferred partner and they traditionally get the better rate. Um, other companies know that they're the preferred provider and therefore can't compete with the rate that's offered and a lot of times they opt not to waste their time because they know they're not going to come in with the lowest price. >> Thank you. That's very helpful. Any other questions? Okay. Thank you. All right. All those in favor of the motion, please say I. >> I. >> I. >> And any opposed. Okay. That motion carries unanimously. >> I move that we approve the bid for the custodial energy services weather track controllers. We have a motion by Miss Barrow, second by Dr. Robinson that we approve the bid for custodial energy services weather track controllers. Any discussion to that motion? I'll add a little discussion because I'm excited about this. Um, one thing that is very um, exciting to me is that this is allocating funds that would have gone towards snow removal if I'm correct and um, putting them towards being conservative and water-wise, which I think is a really exciting cause and effect that we can um, use that money to continue to contribute to our community. Um, and I just want to say thank you for the quick turnaround on this. Like we mentioned it at the last board meeting and boom, I can't believe it's already on our bits. So, thank you for that. And I am really looking forward to no phone calls during rainstorms telling me that schools have their sprinklers on. So, >> I'd just like to echo that as well that I'm very excited for these systems and uh feel like it is a great step in the right direction for us being more uh water conscious in our schools. Perfect. All right. All those in favor of the motion, please say I. >> I. >> And any opposed? Motion carries unanimously. Okay. We're now going to move into um our special business item, which is a recommendation to approve social studies graduation requirements. Uh this has been an item of discussion for several board meetings now and is the opportunity for the board to make a decision on social studies graduation requirements. Um so I will open it up for a motion. I'll move that we adjust uh Jordan School District graduation requirements as follows. Number one, increase social studies credit from 3.5 to 4, and decrease elective credits from 8 to 7.5. >> I'll second. >> We have a motion by Mr. Barnett, a second by Mi Dr. Robinson. Sorry about that. that we um adjust the social studies graduation requirement to four credit hours and adjust the elective credit to 7.5. Did I state it correctly? Great. Um is there discussion to that motion? >> I would like to just kind of add comments and uh how I've kind of been thinking about this. Uh first off, I just wanted to thank everyone who's been following this issue for their patience. It's been a lot for us all to to wrestle with and figure out. Um and just kind of pointing out, it has already been stated though that Jordan School District is kind of in a unique situation uh compared to other school districts because we have 9th grade in the middle school and we were already at the 3.5 social studies credits. But with that, I Jordan School District has been a leader uh in that we were requiring 3.5 over the former three that the state was requiring of us and the state never asked us to do more but I think that we did because we knew it would be worth it for our students. Uh, I personally feel that if we did not increase to four that we would be diluting social studies and that we wouldn't truly be preparing our students for life after graduation. I think students will gain more and be better served in the long run from increased social studies. Um, I think it would be a disservice to our students if we decrease rigor. I don't want us to shy away from higher standards. I think keeping world history and world geography as full semesters would support the US government civics class that the legislator the legislature would like to increase. The governments and histories of different countries are not isolated. They weave in and out. They shape each other. And when students know world geography and world history better, I believe they come to know their own country better. And I believe that increasing social studies will better support the characteristics that we'd like to foster in our students. And that's why I will be supporting this vote. Um just something I over the course of discussing um what to do with the social studies credits. Um first off I I am planning on voting in favor of this motion. Um, and I think that we also have an opportunity to with all this discussion to look at um, our social studies classes and how they're being taught in our school district. I think and well it was brought up to me that with math and language arts and science there are standardized tests and so the teachers the people who are teaching these subjects um have ways to measure and and everybody kind of has a way to measure what the students are learning and what they know and what they're being taught um to a degree. Whereas with social studies, it is harder to know what is happening in each class. And so I hope that um that as a as a district we can figure out how to strengthen our professional learning communities for our secondary social studies teachers, whatever the outcome of the vote tonight. Um so that all of our all of our students who are in social studies classes can receive a really broad um engaging education about um these subjects the um US [clears throat] government um world civ world geography um and US history. So that that's my two cents right there. I just wanted to say that I mentioned in the study session that I'm really in favor of high standards but some high flexibility. And so I'd request that the board at some point come back and look at if there's some flexibility that we can offer. When we require more than the state requires, I think that's a noble thing. But also, is that making kids not have the personal experience that they want? We already have kind of two different pl uh diplomas in our district anyways. We have a 27 hour one and a 24. And I just like to explore is there ways that we can um allow kids to have the experience that they want. >> I I just want to restate some of what I've said before. I I will not be supporting this motion primarily because I think it puts our most vulnerable students at risk of struggling to graduate. And even though we have still a 24-hour or sorry a 24 credit avenue for them that has existed for a long time and we still um don't have a 100% graduation rate and I just want to speak out on behalf of those students. One of my biggest frustrations with, for example, tax increases is during the debating process, during the discussion process. Quite often the people that will be most affected by those tax increases are not represented. They don't know when to fight until it's too late. They show up at TNTs and it's too late. Decisions have been made that affect them personally. And I worry that we are making the decision without the people who are going to be most affected knowing and unable to come and voice. We've heard a considerable amount of people from social stud we've heard a considerable amount from social studies because they have a vested interest in in this. What we're not hearing from is the students that are about to lose choice. And I personally think it's a sad day when we take choice away from students. And I I think this is just a I I I would I am going to vote no because I am in favor of letting people govern themselves and letting them choose for themselves and forcing a class upon them I don't think is the right course of action. and taking away something that they would choose for themselves and not here to advocate for themselves because they don't realize that that choice is being taken away. So, I am opposed to the motion. So, everybody else took a minute. I'll just add I do feel like this has been a robust discussion that has not been hurried. I feel like we have given multiple opportunities to hear feedback. We didn't do this during the summer. The vote is occurring once school has ended, but the conversation and the issue certainly has begun and been had during the active school year. Um, and I believe that we can come up with innovative solutions to make this a win for all students. Um, and with that, are we ready to vote? Okay. All those in favor of the motion, please say I. >> I. >> And those opposed? >> Nay. >> Nay. >> Okay. We have that motion carries 5 to2 with the dissenting votes going to Mr. Deford and Miss Wood. Did I get that right? Just making sure. Okay, perfect. Um, thank you all for your feedback, your input, and the research that you've put into that. And thank you to those teachers who have been waiting with baited breath. Um, and thank you to Miss Rzuto and her team for providing us with nights and nights and nights of answers. Thank you so much for being here. All right, we're now moving into our superintendent report. >> My report is just that uh I just want to shout out all the people who keep working over the summer. May I suggest never asking an educator, "So, what do you do all summer?" Um, maybe ask, "Will you get some time away this summer?" Because we know that even those whose contracts ended last week will still be working hard to prepare for the year to come. There are lots of licensed and ESP employees and administrative employees who work hard throughout the year to have a great launch. uh we starting tomorrow in this room we have administrator trainings. So just a shout out to all those who will be uh a part of that part of all of the preparations that go into uh running a great school year. So thank you. >> It's a good call out. Thank you to all those who are working hard and preparing for the next school year. Okay, let's move into committee reports and comments by board members. facilities committee met recently. The minutes are available in board book as well as a a preview of summer projects 2027. Um so yeah, if if you're inclined, you can go ahead and look at that and formulate any questions or suggestions that you might have and feel free to email or text text me about it. or you can just ask I guess Scott Thomas or anybody from the facilities committee. >> Thank you. Um I'll give a quick report on USBA. Uh we were able to meet it's been a big weekend. We went straight from graduations into our pre-delegate and delegate assemblies. Um, this week we also had a USBA meeting. Uh, just a couple of things for you to be aware of. Uh, it's interesting. Uh, many of you know Lexi Cunningham kind of works for the superintendent association as well as the school boards association. and the needs of the superintendent association seem to be mounting and taking up a good amount of her time. And so there is a suggestion right now that uh USBA employ another person to help um ease some of her stress. There has been a lot of talk about that person being politically active in supporting the um the time on the hill. Especially uh Lexi, we said, "Lexi, what are you interested in taking off your plate?" She could not come up with anything. So, [laughter] she really enjoys the work and wants to stay really involved. But as you know, we in Jordan do not have a problem with superintendent turnover and hope not to for a very long time. But the state of Utah is experiencing a high amount of superintendent turn turnover and that is something that USBA tries to support boards with uh which has created a lot of extra effort. Um, my request has been that rather than jumping immediately to an increase in dues, we look at ways to tighten the belt and one of those that the USBA has been considering is membership at NSBA. Um, I just wanted to update you that there are some benefits that come through our membership at NSBA. Uh I don't know that our board has made as much use of these items. So I wanted to make you aware of them. Um we have some of us are using a discount to the conference um that we enjoy because of membership. There are also like monthly messages and opportunities to join um webinars and uh to stay more connected to the federal process through NSBA that I know I certainly am not taking advantage of and I just wanted to make you aware of those things. Uh I'm not sure what will happen with our association with NSBA. It does seem like uh there are a lot of districts that or states that are opting to leave right now, but it doesn't mean if you leave, it doesn't mean that you can't participate, but you would lose some of those opportunities like the webinars. the there's a Pacific region that meets that again our board hasn't had a lot of experience with but the representative who goes to those meetings finds them quite valuable um there are a few other conferences the leadership or cube for example >> [snorts] >> um so I just wanted to make you aware that those things are being discussed at the USBA level um and if you want more information or have feedback, I would be happy to pass that along. Um, in terms of JLC, we just had our delegate and pre-delegate assembly this week. We had a panelist of legislators come out and talk to us. I think it was um an informative meeting. We're always so grateful for our legislators desire and willingness to come out and um engage with the schools and I think that went well and then I think we could say the fastest delegate assembly in history right like we were out by 11:15 11:20 was crazy fast and I think that is not so much a credit to the fact that we didn't word smith because we certainly did but because we're really trying to limit the number of priorities and asks of the legislature this year. Um it passed with four. So um it's a pretty succinct document and as soon as I get a finished version I will send it out to each of you. Any other reports? Can I ask a clarifying question on the NSBA piece? You mentioned um the membership NSBA that comes from the state level or individual boards have to uh pay those dues. So we are all every board in the state of Utah are paid dues to be a part of USBA and USBA chooses to be a part of NSBA. We get a discount by doing it as an entire state. So as I understand it, someone did mention that NSBA has opened an option where you can still have a membership by district. It doesn't have to be the full state, but I believe it's a little more expensive. >> And to be fair in the numbers, I think that if we were to send an entire board every conference, that would um we the savings would account for our entire membership. But very very very few boards are sending full boards. um especially our rural districts who tend to be a little more uh bound financially than bigger districts maybe will go one person goes a year or every few years. So >> therefore that state discount that they can kind of pull from helps them. um it helps them, but also they're not getting their money back fully for the membership because fewer of their board members are using it. So, it's um I would say that very few boards are getting the full benefit of what that membership could provide should we choose to use it more fully. Um, so the Jordan Education Foundation links to schools golf tournament is Thursday the 25th of June at Glenmore Golf Course. Um, you can go to the website if you want to look into being a sponsor. I think there is still time even though this is in, you know, a little like 14 days. Um, but if you want to participate, look into it. Um, and that's all I have. Sounds like that's all of the reports on that. Um, thank you for your feedback on bulletin board. We had an issue approved since our last meeting and did it go out? I know we all approved it, but I don't know if I saw the final email. Okay, perfect. So, we appreciate communications department spearheading that. They do a great job. Okay, we today do not have a close s Oh, we do have a closed session, but we've got a couple of items still to go on our study session. So at this point we have reached the end of the agenda for our business session and stand adjourned and then we will resume for our study session finish up. >> Thank you for coming. that up. So, yeah, it was E2, Advertising Partnerships, commercial and nonprofit. Um, >> E2 under two, Roman numeral 22 E2. Would that be like the getaway today >> flyers that used to come home with my kids? >> I I was picturing it as maybe something coming through. Peach jar. >> It's the peach jar. Yeah. >> Oh, it's peach jar. Okay. >> I thought Let me take a look at one other thing here. I think that is elsewhere in policy if I'm not mistaken. Let's see. Let me look at I'm looking at the policy here, E2 and three um [clears throat] of our policy. If we look at the elementary policy kind of covers that any approved school-based business partnership may request and receive the same promotional access to students and parents afforded to any other school approved partnership. Advertisements from commercial enterprises for interested students and parents may be placed in an area designated by the school with the approval of the school administration. [sighs] So the idea is to limit it and say it can only be done this particular way. But then the foundation has a separate process within their rules for you can contact the foundation in order to send out a flyer, but you pay into the foundation to do that. >> Okay? >> But it's kind of covered in that separate way. And that's more of a training thing with principles, too. It's like if someone wants a flyer, you don't send it out. you send them to the foundation, but they can post it in these ways that are listed in the fundraising policy. >> So, we kind of don't cover it in their because it's not really a fundraiser for >> right >> the school, it's for the foundation. So, >> so let me clarify then. [clears throat] Does JF kind of have their own policies and procedures of how they handle requests like that? And down the road if we get a new director, they would know how to do that and not go crazy and send out flyers to all of our students and stuff. >> Yes. >> Okay, great. Thanks. >> And they have would have to go through a process to change those rules and all of that and we would be a part of that process. So >> yeah, it can get a little out of hand. >> Go crazy. >> You could [laughter] That's right. That's right. >> We could get a karate dojo flyer every 3 days if we were not careful. >> Any other questions about fundraising? Yes. >> This is a nitpicky question. I'm just curious on spirit nights that um ask for volunteers. I know that often we invite kiddos that need NJHS or NHS hours to come and volunteer. Is that okay? What do you mean by a spirit night? >> Like Chick-fil-A night or I don't know, Zupas. Yeah. Sometimes they ask for people to come like bust the tables or wear the cow costume or whatever. And so I think a lot of elementary schools will invite their sister schools to get some hours for their service. But that doesn't make the students a part of a sale of a product or service, does it? >> I don't think so. >> Feel okay. >> That's Yeah, that's service from >> perfect >> national honor society or whatever organization they're tapping into. >> Perfect. I just don't want to limit opportunities. is I know those hours are hard to fill up. >> If someone wants to wear a cow costume in the name of raising money for an elementary, far be it from me to get in their way. >> No, I I appreciate these questions. This is exactly it. Like what about this situation I'm aware of where they weren't making money on the memory book or that they're helping with the spirit night or uh you know they they're asked were asked for donations for a classroom party or for teacher appreciation. I mean, these are all the unique situations we're trying to address. So, >> as hard as we do though, the moment we approve this, another scenario will come up. >> Oh, [laughter] it certainly will, but I think we'll be a lot closer. So, thank you. >> Policy we need to >> and and the board can like if there's some contingency, it can come to the board. Sure. >> You know, I So, >> okay. Anything else? So, board members, are you okay with the proposed changes just coming to a business [clears throat] meeting in August? Holy cow. Or do you want to see this on another study session? >> I wouldn't mind see updated one as soon as we can get it though, so that we can talk to people. It might be nice when you have those changes just email it to the board. So, because it's going to be a hot minute before we get [laughter] to we can forget everything by then. What they call that summer slip. >> Yes. Well, we'll we'll send out copies as soon as we have them. >> You rush. >> Okay, great. Uh, our next agenda item is a review of board policies. Do you guys want to >> I move that we postpone that agenda item. That was intended. We didn't know how long the pre-b businessiness meeting study session would take and we put that on if we had time. We're not in a rush. Let's postpone that. >> And sometimes I feel like if we're doing another policy discussion, >> do you know what I mean? Like >> I I like to have the regular things. I think it's been very helpful to have it come up and look at it and review it, but I think if we're discussing another policy change, yeah, we can probably forego the scheduled. >> Okay. Did you say you were making a motion? >> I move that we postpone that agenda item. >> Daryl, we have a motion by Mr. Deford, second by Dr. Robinson to postpone the discussion of GP 113 through 115. Any further discussion there? Okay. All in favor say I. >> I. >> And any opposed? Okay. That motion carries. Let's move on to item 1D, which I think will be a quick one. Um several board meetings ago, the board assigned executive committee to talk more about uh book studies and ways that we can engage in professional development of board members. Um we have talked a lot about this and um we we would like to propose that we bring um topics for discussion that we can then bring back to um a future meeting to follow up on. And our original plan tonight was to suggest that we each choose a book or activity from the America 250 activities that our seniors participated in this last school year seeing as we're coming up very soon on the 4th of July in the celebration. Um, we also though had another thought this week that we are our next meeting is going to be our board summit and we are inviting each board member to participate in a board self assessment. Um, so we wondered if perhaps that should be our focus between now and the next meeting to make sure that you create space to do that board self assessment and give it like a fair amount of thought and then that's something we'll actually have time at our next meeting to process and create goals around. So I I guess I'm asking you how in-depth do you want to be? Is it too much to take on both at once? >> Was the 250 one just pick something that was on the senior list and do it and report back. >> Oh, you're on. >> So, there were book opportunities and it wasn't like a specific book. It was like reading a book about the founding of our country >> 1776 by David McCulla, >> right? And there were other >> or Johnny Tmaine >> or memorizing a portion of like the declaration of independ like that. And >> yeah, there was also reaching out to legislators which I think many of us are already doing. But >> where is that list by the way? Can we find that? >> Social studies. >> Send each of you a link. And I mean our students have already done that and been awarded and we talked about wouldn't it be cool if we participated and never really did it. So it was kind of a last stitch opportunity for us to um engage similarly to our students. The the problem is our board summit really is closely scheduled out and there's not a great opportunity to talk about that experience of that meeting. I think if we wanted to, that was something we could report at our business meeting in August and say, "Hey, we all did something over the summer and we could all report back, but up until July, we could focus, you know, on the board self assessment like it's not super pressing that we have to have it our 250 thing done by the summit because I think it could still be fun for us all to do something and >> and we could be um [clears throat] resilient lifelong learners and engaged citizens. >> I love it. >> I like that. Yeah. >> Okay. So, let's make that our um our goal for we will not follow up until August, but to participate in one item on the America 250 project for the seniors, I will send each of you a link to that document. Um, but please be aware that around the 1st of July, we will be sending out that board self assessment. Um, that will be as impactful of an experience as we make it. So, please try to make some space for that um as you prepare for that meeting at the end of July. Okay, that is the end of our study session agenda. Um, I will take a motion to go into close session. [clears throat] I move that we go into close session for character and competence of individuals property potential litigation negotiations andor security um here at JATC South and that we will stand adjourned as soon as we are finished with the close session. Second. >> Have a motion by Miss Dean, second by Miss Barrow that we move into close session. Uh we will hold that close session here at JATC South. And at the uh conclusion of that close session, we will stand adjourned. I will take a roll call vote. Mr. Barnett, >> yes. >> Mr. Dunford, >> yes. >> Miss Barrow, >> yes. Dr. Robinson, Miss Wood, >> yes. >> Miss Dean, >> yes. >> I am also a yes. So that is unanimous and we are now in close session. Thank you so much for joining us.