Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Hello, welcome to the Jordan School District Board of Education Study Session. Today is Tuesday, March 24th, 2026. And present in the board room at this time are all members of the board except for Bryce Dunford, who will be joining us soon. Um as well as our superintendent, associate superintendent, business administrator, and board attorney. Welcome and thanks to those who are joining from home and those who are here in person. We're going to kick off this meeting with a discussion on an exception request to administrative policy AA414, which is student overnight travel. We'll invite Brad Sorensen and Thomas Gatton to the mic. Okay. Well, thank you for having us uh bring this forward. I'm excited to have Mr. Gatton here with me as we're here to answer any questions and thoughts that you have, but as as you in uh board books, the the request has come from the track and field team at Herriman High School, where they are looking for an exception to be able to attend a second long trip, if you will. I'm not sure how we want to phrase it, but this particular one is set to go to Portland, Oregon. They already are slated to attend a trip in Arcadia, California with the entire track team. This particular one would be limited to just a select number of the track athletes to go and compete in the Portland, Oregon one. And so I'm going to turn some time over to Mr. Gatton and just kind of he's had conversations with his coach and other than what you've been able to read in there with their rational justification as to you know, their desire to attend this particular competition as well. So Ultimately it is a select group and those kids haven't been decided yet based on times that they are running in track meets right now. But a lot of what is is is there is true that they do compete at a lower elevation. It's have to it's open up to all ninth and 12th grade students that achieve levels of times that qualify for this particular tournament. They will be running against some of the most prestigious athletes in the country. This is a national tournament that they would not have at the level within the state of Utah. As far as the invite goes to compete against the best and the and to set high qualifying marks as the goal for this team. Um There is as you can see there is fundraising involved as well too and the fundraising is going very well to help compensate for this trip as well. It's projected that 50% of the cost of the trip is going to be fundraised. And also we we've been looking at the the total cost that these athletes have been competing in with with their two St. George trips, the Arcadia trip. And a lot of these athletes compete in the in the fall as well with the cross country. Um In looking at some of the top athletes that have gone to all those competitions, the cost is still very low. We looked at some that are just under under $2,000 for all the meets that they've had to pay. Um and and so we still feel like this would be a doable trip to to gain the experience on the national level with with the with the team that we have and the qualifiers that may happen. So we're here seeking your permission to allow this group to move forward with what they have submitted as a request to potentially compete at the Portland, Oregon competition held on April 23rd through the 25th. I've also added in there in the board books in addition to this just so you can see the different competitions that the groups have competed in. I know cross country and track and field are separate seasons. They're separate. So but but you do have a lot of the same kids who who compete in those which is why I thought it was valuable for you to have your eyes on. These are the same families that are competing but this is what we would refer to as a two sport athlete. So. Questions, board members? Can you Can you talk to me about the the grade the grade requirements for student athletes? That they're expected to maintain a certain GPA. Is that right? Yeah, the within the UHSA, they're they're required to maintain at least a 2.0 GPA to be able to compete prior to the season starting. So, that's that's the qualifier, and then of course we have grade breaks during the season. So, we have the quarter that's ending uh this week actually. And uh and so they still have to maintain a 2.0 minimum. Okay. No more than one F. And that's that's the state requirement. Now, coaches do have the discretion on holding their kids to a higher standard. Uh uh but I am not particularly uh aware of if if coach Soles holds them to a higher standard. But, a lot of these kids are are really as well. But, it is it not a concern to you or staff that these students who are leaving on extra trips will suffer academically? It it Is that not something we should be worried about? They're okay, I I guess is what I'm asking. >> Yeah, and and obviously the communication with teachers and working with them to get their work prior to leaving for these trips um is always an encouragement um and then also, you know, when they get back, I know that there's not a lot of downtime on these track meets to to uh to be able to to find the time to do that because you're at the track all day, you know, it's it's just a long competition. Um but I do know that that yeah, the expectation is is for these kids academically that that's number one uh for sure. And I think uh just in looking at previous trips, these kids have done very well with that. I also think that they have correct me, but I think on some of these trips they have not had to miss any school or they've missed less school than is less than the min- than than the maximum. So, it might be 1 day or 0 days they missed on some previous trips. >> Yeah, we have two trips, the two St. George trips. The one trip there was no school on a Friday and so they went down and did not miss any any school at all and came back Saturday after their uh competition was over. The other St. George trip to Pine View uh would just 1 day of school and the Arcadia trip is only going to be 2 days. So, there's 3 days of school right now that they've missed, which is one over if you they were only going to do one trip based on policy of missing 2 days of school. Um ultimately there the total's going to be uh 6 days if my math's not right if my math's right uh that they'll that they'll miss or actually five, sorry. Five. Five. Five. I have a question. Is it impossible for um student athletes to participate if their parents took them to this meet or is it absolutely necessary that they go with coaches from their school to be able to participate? So, my understanding is typically what's required is to enter as a high school, right? So, you're entering these as a high school that that was a concern that we had had in the past that uh you know, using Herriman High School as the name or whatever that is. Uh we oftentimes get groups, organizations that are running these meets, whether and and it's not just track and I can think of wrestling where they would require the principal or a check from the school. So, uh I can't speak specifically to that particular one, but in many cases the organizers of the track meets are expecting and asking that you're entering as a high school team. So, generally there aren't any club teams that participate in these meets? Uh not in this particular one is my understanding. This is a national high school meet. That's my It's my guess, Lisa, is not knowing the details of that particular, but I I do believe that it's specific to high school. And and so, would check like to pay for entry, it would need to be signed by the principal of the school. Typically, that's the case, yeah. I am curious. Um I know that we have written in an exception for going to regionals or things that they qualify for, right? Uh-huh. Um so, do do you know or anticipate maybe how many days one or two they might miss if they qualify for a regional meet and then national meet, like will these students be missing more and more school, I suppose? Yeah, I I I think there's potential of another national competition that a that they may achieve that qualification. Uh I can't speak to when that national trip is, uh but I would guess that there might be something in May that as they compete in these uh other ones, that something down the road might exist as an opportunity as well. So, that's pretty typical for them to compete. Uh you know, and those regional and national competitions have specific meets that require them to compete in. Like this is kind of a an approved meet, if you will, that you can achieve that qualifying time and if you achieve that qualifying time, you would be eligible to compete in Nationals. And so that's a pretty typical practice to see that progression. And our policy does allow, so if if it's a national progression like a natural progression like that in competing, then we would go ahead and allow them to continue to move forward and that wouldn't necessarily need to come here for approval. Yeah. Why wasn't this brought to us when they asked for an exception before? Uh we we brought this we brought this as soon as the next board meeting was available after review. Is that what you mean? Yeah, so they didn't know about this when they asked for the exception. >> they they provided this to us 50 days. So our our policy requires 45 days in advance. They provided this 50 days to my office. It does take some processing. So when we received this particular request, it was on Wednesday, March 4th. And I actually just didn't see the document come through before we would have had to have that for uh the the previous board meeting, which was March 14th. So typically we try to get that in on on the Friday before board meeting. So we brought it to the next available board meeting once we saw the the request. So they met the policy of 45 days. And we typically like to have 7 days of processing uh to look for things and to make sure I'm in the office, Mike's in the office, or whoever has a chance to look at that and then we realize that this one needs to come to the board for approval. So we're here we are. I guess I'm just concerned cuz it just seems like their season's not planned out real well. They're throwing this in, throwing this I I can speak to that. I think it is planned out. They were planning on going to all these meets and just following the the policy of of the board. Uh you know, just as Brad alluded to of getting it in within the time frame that you needed to get in. I I think what you're asking is is that why why was this not included with the other exception based on when we came in here to to talk through the other trip? Yeah, I it probably would have been easier to do it that way. Um uh but you know, we're still following the policy to to try to get this approved. So. I just see as the exception is like a rare thing and this is like a repeated thing. And so, how many of these are we going to get from the same program, same team? I would have much rather had approved several of them at one time so I have a whole picture of them than piecemeal it. That's just me. Yeah, it's fair. >> represent the rest of the board. So, I think one question that I have is a policy-related question. So, when I look at 2A9, it really appears to me that this is a trip. If a school group or team desires an additional trip beyond the allowed trips. So, to me that is singular. That is the policy that I approved and we've already approved one exception. I In speaking to other board members, I understand that there's some confusion in that wording, but I feel like we really have gone out on on a limb by doubling travel in this policy and even beyond that by providing an exception to the same team. I am quite concerned that we're setting a precedent that I'm not comfortable with by approving a fourth trip, which inevitably considering the success of this extraordinary team, I think they will qualify for Nationals. So, I want to keep those things in mind as we make a decision that this is really us defining our own policy. And for me, education first. So, I want students to have opportunities. I think that this is wonderful. But, the words that I read when we define why we travel are words like essential experiences that can't be experienced otherwise, and I see that they have an opportunity to compete below sea level already approved. So, I I have a lot of concerns with a yes on this one. And I am concerned about every time students go on an overnight trip, um there is a risk of liability, and I do not want to increase that risk with increasing the number of trips, and that is a big concern, and like Nikki, when I read 2A, what is it? 2 2A in the policy AA414, I also see an exception as a singular exception may be granted, and I feel like an exception has already been granted to this program for this season. As the sponsor of this policy, that wrote this policy, that was not our intention. That was not my intention to be read that way. As a person who voted for this policy, that's the way I read it. And I did not vote for this policy, but I that's how I read it now. And I should I should say policy adjustment like the change to the policy that happened. I didn't vote for that. How many people are you you say it's a lower number? Can we get an like even if it's a guestimate, like Did Did you already say? >> How many are going to travel on this trip? Right now, he put down 16. I don't think see that there's going to be any more than that. times for qualification. And he does not know yet who all those kids are going to be. >> They have to qualify for it. >> Right. There's still other races between now and then. What What are the concerns among the A couple board members have shared some concerns regarding the interpretation of the policy and setting up a precedent of multiple additional trips. If if the students involved maintain 2.0 or greater GPAs and pay the majority of the costs so that the district isn't um subsidizing these trips. If that happens, what concerns are there? I I I fear Well, I shouldn't say fear. I just feel like with increasing the number of trips and even distance for those trips, just statistically it increases the risk for um just a lot of issues. And And when I say issues there are things that happen when people are traveling and I I do not want to statistically increase the probability of anything happening to our students while well at all. So, and especially while under the care of the district. So, are you proposing we do away with all travel? Cuz I don't know that there's a higher risk for a team to take three trips than a team to take one. You could have You could have a bad event on a singular trip. Right? If you take three, I don't know that But every trip would increase the possibilities. I think that's what she's saying. >> Maybe, but if you're that concerned, we probably should do away with travel because a program can go on one trip and something seriously can happen. I you know I see that a little bit different. Another concern that I have is the process here. So, it seems like it's well known in the track community that Herriman will be attending this trip long before the board was ever made aware that it was a a request to be made. Our policy definitely outlines that that order of those conversations should have been different. Um so, I'm getting calls from constituents from other schools and I that doesn't sit well with me, either. It was like the board's going to say yes, so this is just a formality for us to And for me missing school is a big deal and for us to endorse missing school is a very big deal. But if they're missing less school than other trips, does that remedy that and say now we're okay? Well, I think it's that that camel's nose theory. In this case, it's minimal, but once it's well known, you can come to the board as many times as you want. Then I don't know what can happen and I I was willing. I want kids to have opportunities. That's why I voted for a policy change and that's why I voted for an exception to policy, but this feels like it's snowballing. So let's punish the group that isn't missing school because others might. The group that we changed the policy at their request, then we extended the the distance on a on a quick trip. And then we gave permission for an exception. I I feel like we have we have come to the point where I say, "Okay, enough is enough." And and I um I think that punishment or punish is maybe a different word could be used because this is not punitive. We are not taking something away. We're not giving a consequence for some type of behavior. We are just Like if if we don't approve this, it's not a punishment. It is just >> Yes. How is that a >> How is it a punishment? This is a national ranked team and we're not allowing them to compete We are they get to go to three. No, we're not allowing them to go to this race. You've had enough. We're done letting you compete. But, thanks for being a nationally ranked team and bringing a lot of attention to Jordan District. And We are losing athletes to schools all over the state of Utah. And now we're going to tell our best athletic competition that they cannot go to a meet. Where they're fundraising. They're not missing an extraordinary amount of school. We shouldn't be surprised if Jordan District keeps losing athletes if this is how we act. And while I love having opportunities for our students to participate in athletic programs, um I I think I've even said before that athletics is not my highest priority in um in public education. And specifically in Jordan School District, I appreciate all the opportunities and the lessons that it affords to our students. I love that. But, it is not my top priority. And I I feel like if students find a better a program or a school that fits them better, even if it's outside of Jordan School District, I'm sad to see them go, but I want every student to find the place where they can succeed. And so, I'm not I'm not trying to um make or interpret policy that is specifically to retain athletes. I want policy that ensures the the best opportunity for all of our students to have a high quality appropriate education. And so, when um with the possibility of athletes going somewhere else, yeah, I I don't want to lose students from Jordan School District, but I do want all students to have the best fit for them. I can give you a thousand studies that say student athletes do better in school. And that student athletics promote school success. I can tell you that the vast majority of CEOs on the Fortune 500 were not Sterling Scholars. They were not National Honor Society, but the vast majority of them were student athletes. Student athletics bring success. It's sad to hear that's not your priority because thousands and thousands >> it's not my top priority. Okay, when you're done. Thousands and thousands of kids in our district it is. They wouldn't graduate without athletics and sports and activities. Well, there's many people who attend charter schools until they get to high school and then all of a sudden why do they switch to the public education? It's cuz of the programs that we have. You know, same thing with home school that they want to home school their kid, but they want to take care of to our our programs and I think I just changed my mind. I think I'm going to support this. I think this is a failure of the policies a failure of the board not our fault, but we needed to find that word. What's an a trip? Like that's our problem, I think is we didn't have the foresight to to really see, oh, maybe someone would ask for two in the same season. And so, I think I'm going to support this. I wasn't going to, but I I think that this needs to come back to the the policy needs to come back to the board and define what we really are What are we wanting to do? Do we want to limit this? Do we not? I hate to hurt a program who's thinking that they're going to be able to attend because of the policy and yet we're reading the policy different than they are. So, I really like where you're going and I might be willing to make an exception this time. >> And and this is >> With See, that means one. An exception is singular. Another. >> Um but I would need the policy wording changed because I do think this is Pandora's Box and I I'm cautious that this debate is going towards you're taking away sports. No, no we're not. Sports are alive and well in Jordan School District and nobody, I think, in this room wants to remove these opportunities and motivations for students. I certainly don't. Um I do want to keep students safe and I do want to ensure that we are being conservative in our approach. Um and so that's why I'm uncomfortable right now. Now And can I add one thing? If you're interested in safety, then sending them as a team with a coach is a lot safer than not approving a trip and having them all go on their own. I thought we were just told that you had to enter as a school >> No, I'm just saying in general. So I certainly hope that our coaches have more integrity than to find a loophole around policy and go rogue. And I know that there are people who might disagree, but I'm going to trust in the integrity of our coaches and the wisdom of our administrators to to keep that in check. >> But whether the coach does or does There will be parents who will say, "I will take my child to this trip. I will take my child so that they can compete in this trip." It has happened, and it will most likely happen again. And I I think that a parent's prerogative to care for their child's need is something that we cannot debate as a board. I want parents to have those choices. >> I'm just saying, if your argument is safety, then it's better to it's safer to send them as a team under the direction of a coach. And I hope we're not arguing. I don't want to argue. I'd love to petition the group and find the wisdom of the majority. I move that we approve this trip for Herriman track team. I'll second it. Okay, we have a motion by Mr. Dunford, second by Dr. Robinson, to approve an additional exception allowing the Herriman track team and um a fourth trip. Uh all those in favor, please say aye. >> Can we have some discussion, please? >> Sorry. Yes, I apologize. More discussion. Rather heated, so I was waiting for there to be a lull. Okay. Um question that kind of goes back to the the meets that they went to in March. Um I was curious if those were qualifying competitions or not, and if in the future this board decides to do something else, uh can a coach be more choosy with which meets they go to and not, so they're not asking for multiple exceptions? So, there is meets during the week, usually on Wednesdays. Those are uh region meets. Uh there are also qualifying meets that happen on weekends, Fridays and Saturdays. They're called invitationals. They're across the state of Utah. So, those two that were down in St. George were qualifying for state. Okay. And the the the meets that are during the week aren't qualifiers. It's always the the meets on the the weekend. So, they were fairly important so that they could qualify for state. >> Yes. St. George is also the lowest elevation in our state, and so a lot of teams like to go down there. It's warmer. The elevation's lower. >> Yeah. So, they feel like they can get better times down there. Yep. On a personal level, I know a lot of these kids. They're from the community. I don't represent the school directly anymore, but um these are top-quality kids, and they really have represented the school in the district and our community in a great way. So, it's hard to say no to good kids. I do think that we need to rework that policy. I would have loved to see the two exceptions together. That's personally. So, keeping the wording there and exception, um and have the whole season planned out. I'm I'm not sure how hard that is, but that's that would have made it easier for me to approve both of them at the same time. So, can I get a feel for how many board members are interested in adjusting the policy to identify that a single exception may be made for the same group? I'm interested in clarifying the policy. Me, too. Okay. So, I I I just need to know where we stand on that before I know how to vote on this. Meaning you may fully authorize multiple exceptions. When I read nine, the first sentence, I would agree it is a singular exception, but the following sentence blows that up in my mind by saying all additional requests. It makes it unclear. So, >> To me, that is saying the board may receive requests from a variety of sources, and that's why that becomes plural. So, I think it's clear that it's not clear. What I What I hear is the concerns is cost both to families and the district, liability, or misbehavior injuries, and miss school. So, the question in my mind, you know, is the board the ultimate gatekeeper of those things, or do we have other gatekeepers before it even gets to us that are considering those risks? That's a great point. I think with this trip not being the entire team, but few, causes me to be more open to it with the policy as it's currently written. But I have concerns in the future about cost and miss school and liabilities. And so, I don't know where where I would land if I were to rewrite this policy exactly how I would rewrite it. I don't know if I would say and a singular trip as an exception. I think that is my preference, and I agree they have a very similar competition available just in a few weeks. Um I don't know what may makes this meet so exceptional compared to that one. So, I can see both sides of this, but I have concerns with the policy. I I wouldn't mind looking at the policy in an organizational way because as I was reading it, I felt like it jumped around a lot and it was a a little hard for me to interpret uh some things just because I felt like it was jumping all over. So, I'm I would like to look at it that way. I feel like a or yeah, nine could be seen both ways, singular or not. I tried to listen to the conversations that were had back in 2024 by this board when you guys were reworking it. Um so, I'm okay looking at it again if that's what the majority of the board would like to do. Um Along the lines of Ms. Wood because it is a smaller group of students, um I am a little more okay with this trip. Um I I know that activities and sports play a big role in our schools in getting our students to school, giving them that community, and something to look forward to and so that they know they have to have their grade at a certain level, so they're going to get it there so that they can participate and be with their communities. And so, I do want to support our groups and activities. I think this board would feel the same way. Um But, yeah, so those are my thoughts. Are we ready to move to vote? Okay. >> Can Can I just mention one thing? I I asked some questions about financing of these trips and GPA. Those are my two main concerns. If students are able to keep their grades up, I mean, the as opposed to being in school, we already have virtual school where students aren't required to be in sitting in a classroom and we've and we're okay with that. And students maintain their grades. So, if these student athletes can maintain the appropriate GPA and they or their families are willing to pay for it or most of it, I I don't have a problem um approving multiple exceptions per school as long as those two things are met. There there was a concern raised and and I can appreciate Lisa's bringing it up uh as far as safety, but I'm I'm I'm not convinced that 16 students traveling somewhere are more safe than 16 students traveling around the district or being involved in activities in the district. So, they can be 2 days up there or Where's this trip again? Oregon. Oregon. Portland, Oregon. So, they can be 2 days traveling and in Oregon or they can be 2 or 3 days messing around here in the district and if there is a difference in safety, I I think it's negligible. I I remember seeing a study done by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where they were comparing whether or not a missionary is safer out in the field or home. And the determination was they're actually safer. That that there were more deaths in that age group at home than there were out in the field. So, I'm not I'm not convinced. >> safer. Is that what it was? Yeah. I don't know if that's a fair comparison. Well, it's >> their statistics. They took the mortality rate of somebody who's home and the mortality rate of somebody who's >> I'm just saying that doesn't seem like the same groups, but okay. Well, that the point is I don't know that they're at at a much higher risk of something happening just because they're away as opposed to being home. Because of the chaperones, because of all those things. >> town. And we are responsible. What does that mean? That we're responsible? What does that actually mean to the district that they're responsible? That the accountability for that student when we send them on a trip with this school is rests with the district. And when they are at home, it rests with their parents. So, the district would be taking more risk. Would be financially responsible if if if something happened? Is that is that what you're saying? Yes. Open to How would that work, Paul? Would the would the district be fin- I mean, would be would we be open to litigation? It's very, very factual sensitive. Um Um We require insurance on every student, travel insurance, and they have to be insured. So, travel insurance for if there's a problem with the travel, but also if there's an issue. That doesn't mean we're not responsible. It just means financially we have Okay, I'm done. Thanks. I could give you more, but we can talk later. I did want to add one more comment to my earlier comments was that um I hope that as steps are being made for groups and athletes to go on trips, that that would be an opportunity for coaches and teachers to teach students how to kind of solve their own problems of I have something due, I have homework, how am I going to address this with my teacher, and to uh encourage them to be good communicators and responsible teammates and all of our characteristics. So, I hope that our our teachers and staff are also taking that into consideration and helping our students learn and grow from these other experiences, not just classroom experiences. And I do think we're asking an additional burden on teachers every time we allow students to miss class. I we all understand that when we say yes, and that's why I'd like to take a conservative approach. Okay. I heard there was one comment before a vote. Anyone else want to get something in? Okay, all those in favor of the motion to approve this exception, please say I. I. And any opposed? I. Nay. Nay. I'm going to say nay. A. So, that motion carries um 4 to 3 with the opposing votes going to Ms. George, Ms. Dean, and Ms. Wood. All right. Thank you. Thank you for being here. Um board members, before we move on to another agenda item, it sounds like there is interest in um proposed changes to this policy. How would we like to go about those changes? I think it would be very difficult right now for us to assign to staff, "Hey, go write your recommendation." knowing that the board is divided on what we want out of it. So, in this case, I would probably recommend either further discussion as a group or an ad hoc. I I think a cooling off period would be good. And I would like to take this up in a month or so. I'd like to take it up like late May, early June, and have it in I I don't know. I think I want to think on it a lot more than let's jump into it and change it. What is the likelihood we will get another request >> it's good to before the school year is out? Probably just increased it. Well, they have to have it proposed for 45 days before a trip, but apparently they can come to us anytime. Clarify that last last bit. I didn't follow that. So, our policy requires that they submit their proposal to the AOS 45 days before travel. Yes, but that's not 45 days for us. >> That doesn't necessarily mean the board will see that exception request in any sort of timely manner. I can say for me, I'd like to vet this more thoroughly and I don't know that I will feel satisfied by next board meeting to discuss it. If the board wants to, I will, but um I'd like to vet it more, but definitely revisit it. Are you more inclined to give it to an ad hoc committee because we were so divided as opposed to giving it to policy review committee? Yeah, a policy should Policy Committee should not be I think Policy Committee is for reviewing existing policy and here we're talking about policy change. So, to In my mind, those are very different discussions. But if others see it differently or want to change that, we certainly could. But So, Dr. Robinson, when you say you'd like to give this until like May, are you saying you'd like it to come back to the full board at that point and then we decide what comes next? Yeah, I I think that it would be hard for ad hoc committee to go and tackle it without knowing what the whole board wants. Yeah, I tend to agree. I do think that it needs to come back to everybody and we need to ask some questions like maybe in the process we analyze this kids going have a higher GPA maybe a 3.0 instead of a 2.0 or or whatever. I mean A 2.0 feels like a low bar to me. >> Yeah. And so I think maybe the ad hoc committee can get into those details, but you know, we weren't anticipating this, but it sounds to me that this will come back from this program every year. Which I mean, maybe I'm okay with that, but again, I would wanted to see them together, but you all might have been different. I I do think that we >> That would have changed everything for me. I think that we need to talk it out and then we need to maybe get an ad hoc or assign it to the policy committee at that point. So board members, are you comfortable if we just add this to an agenda item in our May study session? We'll have time to digest what happened here tonight and maybe form more opinions and then we can discuss it again. Even April would be okay with me. Yeah, I I would feel more comfortable giving us just a month, right? And at the end of April, the last board meeting in April bringing it back. So that gives us all a few weeks, but not too long that we maybe we forgot and then we're cramming the night before. I want the policy to in place before the school year begins. For sure. I think that's very important. I've captured it in the spreadsheet. Perfect. Thank you. All right, we will decide later. A question regarding the 4-3 vote. There was some legislation regarding 4-3 votes for us that didn't pass. Did not pass. >> Okay. HB 170 would have allowed for a referendum on any board vote that was not a super majority. So in this case would have allowed for a referendum. Someone could have prevented this vote from being effectual. Is that There Yeah, there could have been a referendum. That's a very high bar with signatures and everything to read. Yes, there could have been a an initiated referendum. But I'm not sure how that would have worked cuz this this event is happening in a few in a month here. So, I mean, what it would have made for a great test case. We are grateful we don't have to worry about it this year. All right. Let's move on to item 1B, a review of the process and timeline for School Land Trust and Teacher and Student Success Act plans and approvals. Dr. Anderson. Thank you. This training is just in anticipation of you receiving School Land Trust and TSSA plans. And just a brief overview of a few things that we are required to go through. If I can get this to go. There we go. We'll be going over the role of school community councils, what the Land Trust and TSSA plans are, and then just give you some timelines and updates. I think it's important to note that school community councils are required by law. Jordan District has done them since the early '90s, and then they were actually codified in the state of Utah in the in 2002. The translation for those listening is we did it, and then the state said everyone should do this. That's awesome. I didn't know that. I love that color commentary. Um the work of school community councils are obviously is to represent the school community. Um they prepare the School Land Trust plan. They give input. Um not they do not approve, but they do give input and and collaborate on the Teacher and Student Success Act, also known as the TSSA. And then they advise and make recommendations to school and district leadership on various various topics. Uh council membership is comprised always um by the principal, who's an ex-officio member, and is a voting employee, and at least one other school employee. All councils have to have at least two parent memberships. The state baseline in law for high schools is six parents and four employees for a total of 10 members and then at the elementary middle schools that goes down to four parents and two employees, but always two more parents than employees. Can I interrupt you with a question? >> Please. So if that is defined legally, why do we create bylaws at each school? Yeah, the law allows for school community councils to change that baseline. And in order to do that, you have to have it stated in your rules of order and procedure. You have to have a vote. And if if school X wants to increase the number of of if an elementary school wants to go from six to say eight members, they can do that so long as there are two more parents than employees. And then they have to stay that way. The state guidelines recommend that they stay that way for 3 years. And then they in their rules of order and procedure they say, "Hey, we move to nine nine members. This is when we voted on it and that's how it works. But there is a state baseline of four and two and six and four. Those member terms for each parent member are two 2 years. Terms especially when you start a school or they should be staggered. If someone has to resign for whatever reason, the council should get together and and outline how terms can be staggered so that there is not a wholesale turnover. Is the school employee also limited to 2 years? They they well and and that's a good question. So the member terms are 2 years. There are no term limits on the parents so long as they have a child in school for one of the 2 years they are serving. School employees are intended to be for 2 years, but that can change and that's that's often done year by year with with faculty voting. I will like to remind our school community councils that the founding fathers were were very big on public the idea of public education. I love this quote from President Adams. Um this kind of outlines the essence of land trust. He he he loved the the idea that there should not be a district of 1 mile square without a school in it not founded by a charitable individual but maintained at the public expense of the people themselves. And so there are throughout the state of Utah designated trust lands out there. And those trust lands are governed by SITLA, which is the School Institutional Trust Lands Association, and they can lease and rent and sell property, trade property. The the revenue proceeds of that come to the state and are are put into a an account for the School Land Trust program. The dividends from those from those accounts go to the schools. Mike, I have heard for many years, can you confirm this, that when the government the federal government allowed a state statehood, they required them to allocate certain lands for education. We were not a wealthy nation at the time. So what we had was land. So this spot of land suddenly became public education land. >> That's correct. And and actually it started with the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 and as you went further west, more arid land, they were very more liberal with how much land trust lands they allocated when they designated you know the the the township and the ranges and so forth. So the western states as they were as it as they were surveyed got more trust lands than the eastern states in some cases. So in Utah, we we benefit from that today. If you were to take every single acre of trust lands in the state of Utah, you'd have a state the side of size of Connecticut within the state. That's why that graphic is there. So, yes, that that's uh that is very much the case. So, when it comes to the um land trust plans and the TSSA plans, for the land trust plan, it it does include part They usually they they go in tandem, both the TSSA and the land trust plans do. The plan has to describe how the school will improve or enhance academic achievement. Behavior has also been uh as of late an approved uh an approved goal that the school community council can work to and allocate land trust plans for. Um the money from the land trust allocation operationalizes the plan. It funds it. So, if you want to increase your reading scores, for example, by 2%, one of the the ways you operationalize that is to pay uh in whole or in part for a teacher to do that, to lower class sizes, or add a an additional reading aid, or something that's paid for out of land trust. And this year, the amount per student is $187. Uh the the school community council must have uh signature forms um when they take the vote at the end of the school year, right around now, this time, this month. Um they get the signatures. Those were due this year on March 20th. We have to retain those on record for 3 years, just by way of information. Question on that. Yes. It seems like uh within the past 6 months, maybe, we were talking about electronic voting for SCCs, but that doesn't have anything to do with the signature form. Correct. The signature form is separate. School community councils can elect to have provisions in their bylaws, their rules of order and procedure, to have electronic voting. if a if a member attends via Zoom or over the phone, they can stipulate that. It just has to be outlined in their rules and order and procedure. And voted on. >> have to first provide policy that allows for that. Sorry, yes. They they can participate and the board must approve the policy or they must have a policy in place in order for it to vote electronically. They can participate through Zoom and other things and that can be outlined in the policy. The vote is an approved process and the board has to have a have a policy to allow for that. Part It's a trick Yeah, I think there's there are questions around like vote voting security like having a secure way to establish a voting system and so forth. I assumed that the voting was in regards to voting for members to be on the school community council, not necessarily what they're voting on during school community council. So that Yeah, that we're we I guess we're talking two different things here. So let me clarify each. To vote for the membership on the school community council, you have a number of of parents that want to run. The voting for that is the one that Ms. George was referring to that has to be approved through policy in order to be able to vote for council membership. The school community council itself can can establish rules of order and procedure so that their members can participate and vote within the council electronically. When it comes time for the final land trust plan, they have to actually sign it as well. So sorry if I wasn't clear on that. Does that make sense? So that's why the the the question of voter security comes up um when it comes to candidates in the school-wide vote on council membership. And that's where we've looked into it and the board has to have a policy and okay that before that happens. So currently there's paper ballots that exist in all of our schools for voting on members of the school community council. Thank you. Um in terms of carryover funds, these are large allocations. They can be carried over from year to year, but if it's more than 10% of the of the allocated amount, the school community councils must explain why they're carrying over one you know for one year. They cannot have more than 3 years of consecutive carryovers of greater than 10% or they can get kind of reprimanded from the state and they could be in jeopardy of of not receiving their funding. Um the Land Trust plans in order to to remedy that, Land Trust plans can be amended by the school community councils midyear if you want. Just allocate reallocate funds and shift it around so that you don't have large carryovers. I'm happy to report that this year there was not one school in our district that had excess carryover. And for a district our size to have all 68 schools to not have any carryover in excess of 10% is a is a big deal. It speaks to excellent training. Thank you. And and and to the great work that our school community councils do and our principals that are that are aware of that and and cognizant of just when they need to change or amend plans. So we're we're proud of that. It's the first year since I've been doing this that that's happened. The Teacher and Student Success Act it's it's doesn't seem like that long ago, but it's been now 7 years that we've had this. This was set by the state legislature and gives money directly to public schools to address unique needs. The schools must follow the parameters set by the framework that the school board creates. In our case, the board has has authorized the framework that uh uh revolves around professional development, academic coaching, and a school-based initiative. The school-based initiative is pretty broad and and can be um can be flexible to meet schools' uh needs. It does require input from the school community council, but they don't approve it. You as the board approve the TSSA plans. Does that make sense? And the allocation per student for this year for TSSA is $252 per student. So, between the two funds, our some of our large high schools get is a good chunk of change that they get, and it can really impact uh the work that goes on there. Some important dates to keep in mind that are coming up here, that's why we're giving you just a heads-up now. Um final reports were initially were going to be uh opened up and and they were due earlier this year, but they had a glitch in the state system, so they made the due date March 20th. Um those are um completed and submitted to the state website. March 20th was also the date that we as a district um gave to our school community councils for the Land Trust plans and the TSSA plans to be submitted. Happy to report that that was last week, and they have all been submitted. The administrators of schools now have those plans. They'll be reviewing them, and uh once they're done, then we will be passing those on to the school board uh on April 13th. You'll receive those, and um we ask that if you can have those completed by April 24th. If there's any questions along the lines there, um please give us a holler. We're happy to help in any way possible. Lisa Lestarge, to my left, is is our uh our our TSSA and Land Trust guru this year, and she's been doing a phenomenal job with that, and I want to thank her for that. That's uh that's all I have for this. Any questions from the board? Mike, in the past, you've given board members a rubric as if to say, "Here's kind of what you're looking for as you evaluate these. Here's a good plan. Here's a maybe not so good plan." Is there any way given the makeup of our board, is there any way you could do that again this year? >> on that. We'll send that along the plans will have that. It will have a checklist and then we'll also have kind of just a a kind of a guide like this is what a good plan looks like and there are three hyperlinks, one for each level, where you'll it will take you to a good example of a elementary, middle school, and high school plan and you can kind of see how they structure it. It's just a sample, but you can see the wording in there is is really ideal and is exemplary. So, those things will all be sent to you along with the plans that you'll be reviewing. Any other questions from board members? So, let me make it clear. They're going to send you these plans on April 13th, you have 11 days to review them and sign off on them and that needs to be completed by April 24th. I would add on that and when you get the plans Lisa has carefully vetted the numbers and made sure that they the math maths out on the on that. So, we've we've been having to go back and forth with some schools where you know, just making sure it drives. You don't have to maybe you don't have to pull out a calculator and start making sure it adds up. That part has been You can you can do whatever you want, but that part has been taken care of. You don't need to worry as much about that. And and the state land trust office also make sure that those those numbers are in order. So, it's more looking at the plan, making sure you're aware of what what the school wants to do, what's their goal, how are they going to be spending their money, but the budget codes and the numbers Lisa's been diligently checking those already. So, Can you give us just a an overview of how a school's plans are evaluated uh after they've been approved by us and after the year has gone by and the money has been spent. How are they um I was it determined whether or not they were successful kind of thing. Excellent question. So, the final report that you see on the first bullet there, that's that's what the principal has to submit at the end of the year to account for how the money was spent, make sure everything that they and said the money was intended for was actually spent. And there's this, you know, there's an insurance form there and that I believe we sent that that out what when was it last week, week before? So, once we got those we sent those to to you as board members, you should have those to compare. It's just an accountability, it's kind of putting a bow on on the plan at the end of the year for last year. The plans you'll be getting uh on April 13th will be for the upcoming 2026-2027 school year. Did that answer your question? Yeah, I I just uh I'm sure that information has come my way, I just don't recall seeing it. I'd be happy to resend it. how they're held accountable and whether or not they increased by 2% or whatever their goals were. I- I- Is that something that's pretty regimented and and if they continually don't meet goals, something happens or >> No, there's no like um there's no sanctions if you don't meet your goals. The intended target is what the school community council agrees to and it's really the school community council that that the principal reports to and gives the data and said this is where we ended up with reading or this is where we ended up with math, but there's no accountability to the state saying, "We didn't meet that goal." Um we really wanted to. There's not a report like that and and that the state doesn't look at the school and say, "Man, that's 3 years in a row you didn't meet your reading goal." because it's up to each individual school committee council to determine what their goal is and some may really be focused on improving behavior. Some may be focused on improving science scores. And that may be their own the only two goals. Other schools may have reading goals. Other schools may have math goals and numeracy goals. So it really is dependent on the local school community council and the principal to to determine what those needs are. They look at their data. Um Ben Jameson and and Brooke Anderson provide them with any data that they need in terms of test scores and they evaluate that and I think, all right, what is the data telling us and what what do we feel as a community council we need to improve? And Mike, if anyone has a question about a plan, their first phone call would be to me or Lisa. Yep. Feel free to reach out. Happy to walk it over. And we we maybe touch base with the administrator of schools, but that's the first easy contact and when we send those out, our phone numbers and emails of course are part of that so you can reply right to us. Or call us. I just like to say from doing this last year, I was very impressed by several schools who were very detailed in their goals. You could tell they were very thoughtful and measurable and I just appreciate all the work that our school community councils put into this. Yeah. They take it serious and and it really is a testament to their their good work. They start early on in the school year, September and October talking about this, start formulating plans in the middle of the school year and then the last month or so they've really been pulling it together and and creating a plan. And most of the time you see them building upon previous plans or or refining them saying, yeah, this wasn't quite didn't quite hit the mark. We need to tweak it to do this. And and you as you've sat this board is very good at attending those meetings and as you sat and participated in those discussions you've seen that firsthand I'm sure. Any final comments or questions? Thank you Mr. Anderson. Let's move on to item 1C. Um policy review committee is bringing back our first batch of updated policies and um I'll turn the time over to Miss Aaron Barrow. Oh, okay dokey. Great. All right. So on board book uh you should have a red line a draft as well as a clean draft. So if you want to open up GP 100 and is there any feedback, any questions, concerns that you would like policy review committee to take back or are you guys ready to kind of push this forward? It is not on today's agenda for approval. So this is more um terms of should we put it on the agenda for final approval because we're trying to gauge the board as to how much you want you know what how much input do you want to have how much discussion are we going to have after policy review. So that's kind of where we are is we are not seeking approval today for a final approval for these policies. If there's no feedback then great. We'll just move on. No, I just okay. Catching your eye to see if you want to keep going. Well, so maybe we could um change the word from ensure to safeguard. On GP 100? Yes. The purpose of the Board of Education on behalf of the people of Jordan School District is to safeguard that Jordan School District achieves appropriate results for students, etc. Please. It ensure from a legal standpoint, almost sounds like you're promising and people misinterpret it as insure rather than ensure. So, sometimes while you want to achieve the best there's just some Not not one of my favorite words as an attorney. I'll just put it that way. Do you feel better about safeguard? Or something like that. I don't know that that there's a something to indicate that it's not guaranteed. Is that it? But that we'll do the best we can. Okay. We can word smith that. I I apologize I stepped out, so stop me if you guys have already talked about this, but I understand the intention behind losing at a cost comparable to like school districts, but I would love if we could add a word to administer's financial oversight. I'd like to say something like conservative financial oversight or careful financial oversight. Something that indicates that it is our obligation to try to keep costs appropriate. Because I I that was the intent of that line. Mhm. How about responsible? Responsible, I like that. That note down. Any other comments on GP 100? Other than thank you, policy committee. Appreciate you capturing a lot of discussion. So, thanks for that effort. How about GP 101? Does anyone have any comments on that one? I I sent a question to Erin uh by email. Let's see. E Is that right? Yeah, in E it one of the enumerated things is respect for roles. And I asked her, you know, what is what do we mean by that? And she took that to the policy review committee. And maybe Bryce or Daryl can just kind of summarize the response. I thought it was really really good. What that means. Everyone stay in your lane, respect principals, don't be so quick to jump in and solve a principal's problem when the principal should solve the problem, respect for each other's roles, respect for legislators roles, and respect for parental roles. And so we kept it generic for that very reason to say, "Look, we're not we're not just talking about each other's roles. We're talking about respect for the roles that everyone plays. Uh I think we try very hard to safeguard the role of parents, the role of the superintendent, the role of teachers, and and and prevent the I prevent board members from stepping in and trying to solve a problem that doesn't belong to that role. So, and and hence the I know where you were going. You wanted a little bit more spec- specificity, but I feel I feel like we kind of diminish the purpose of that statement if we specify which role we respect. Could we say respective roles? Would that add a little more clarity? Brian, to what you were maybe looking for. Respect for respective roles. >> Yeah, that sounds a little funny, doesn't it? >> Yeah, I'm I'm actually happy with what Bryce and and Daryl and Aaron shared with me on that. Um I like the uh the analogy of staying your lane, you know, not not trying to do something that someone else has responsibility for. And and Bryce also mentioned in our executive committee meeting um that if we did want to elaborate on that a little more, it it might be better in the in the BSC policies. This is more of just kind of high-level, so yeah, I was I was fine with that. Process-wise, I really liked how Brian sent that question. We talked about that for I think a good 10 or 15 minutes, and I think the process of that really worked really well. And it kept that 15 minutes out of a board meeting. Yeah. It was much more efficient, and that's kind of how we approached it. We came up with a redline version. Aaron spearheaded that, sent it out to everyone, gathered feedback. We you feel like that process saves time, but we don't want the board to feel like you're obligated to accept a redline version that you are not necessarily comfortable with. These are the board's policies, and we want every board member to feel comfortable without necessarily taking a long time to wordsmith in a board meeting. Is everyone good with the respect for roles leaving it as is? Okay. Is there anything else from GP 101? I have something on G. Anyone before G? So, I have noticed that depending on who the executive committee are, our practice tends to vary on um monitoring and discussing processes and performance. Do you feel like this is too prescriptive to say we will do this every month? Do you want to just say we do this um in a predictable pattern and leave it to the definition of the current board? So, I didn't read this as being required monthly. Okay. So, maybe a clarity would be at um at regular meetings? Yes, or even public meetings or The Board of Education regularly monitors and discusses processes and performance. Period. Period. Do we want to define when? Monitors and discusses process Is that what you said? >> I was just reading it as you wrote it. >> The sentence ends at performance. >> Oh, just end it there. I see what you're saying. That would match our practice. And it just gives a little bit of wiggle room for the board of the day. I I'm good with that. If we do put a period after performance, we'd have to fix the Oh, yeah. >> to say including review of board activity, but or maybe just a comma there and take out at monthly meet. I think I I didn't take the monthly meetings to mean that we will do it monthly. I look at it as our meetings are held monthly. Uh once a month we have the regular um general board meeting. A- Anyway, I feel like our meetings are monthly and it's not necessarily the the review is monthly or the discussion is monthly. So, I I don't think it needs to be changed, but I'm willing to do whatever. So, you didn't read it as the frequency of the Yeah. We do later define when we will meet in policy. So, maybe it's just unnecessary here. I'd be fine taking out at monthly meetings. Could anyone read that implying we're discussing it outside of open meetings? Or do you think that's implied? I I think it's appropriate if committee is talking about it. It doesn't have to everything doesn't have to be done in a monthly meeting. I don't get that sense when I read I was just trying to read it really quickly. Could I define it that way? I But I'm okay with whichever. I think if we eliminate it to Paul's point, it it would be included in committee discussions as well. We could take G back and look at that. Um I can't remember off the top of my head where else we talk about this, Nikki. But I'd like to cross-reference. Personally, I'd like to do that and see. I kind of like G the way it is if you read it as a whole. I think I agree with Lisa and you don't necessarily it's not prescriptive because it's including other things that we might do at monthly meetings that aren't unheard of. But And just so you know, the way we have for organized our committee, Aaron has the assignment to oversee the GP. So that's why she's kind of stepping out and taking feedback. Daryl will do the ELs and I'll do the the BSCs. So any feedback you have and and that's why Aaron is really the champion of these. We're just taking them one at a time unless you see a policy that needs to be worked on ahead of time. So you're comfortable or do you want direction from the board as to what to do? The way I'm interpreting it is that some would like to possibly delete monthly meetings. Is this paragraph superfluous? Are we addressing it somewhere else? So I'm going to kind of do some cross-referencing and let you all know what I find and we can talk about it in policy review. Great. If there's anything else, then I'm done. Good job, Mary. Thank you. Thank you, policy committee. Um this is perfect. It was really nice to save the word smithing for your group, and and we appreciate your efforts. Okay, we have come to the end of our study session. We do have an about an hour before our business meeting. So, I would propose that we take a short break and then reconvene in closed session um prior to going out to the business meeting and cross our fingers for an early night. Anyone have concerns with that plan? Okay. Mr. Van Comen, can can we adjourn to closed session and then take a break or do we need to take a break, come back, vote to go to closed session? Uh um I think you could do it either way. You You just are in if you go in closed session, you're still in closed session. People can leave. You're not bound to be in the in the room as long as um you don't discuss matters outside. I appreciate that. Okay, so anyone brave enough to make that motion? I move that after a short recess, we convene in closed session for character and competence of individuals, property, potential litigation, negotiations, and security. Second. Nice meeting you. >> wait. And that at the end of our closed session agenda, we will adjourn to our regular business meeting. Beautiful. Okay, so we have a motion by Mr. Denford, a second by Ms. Barrow, that we're going to um take a short break and then resume in closed session, following which we will adjourn closed session and move into our business meeting. Okay. Um and we'll do a roll call vote. Ms. Dean? Uh Yes. Mr. Wood? Yes. Ms. Dr. Robinson? Yes. Ms. Barrow? Yes. Mr. Denford? Yes. Mr. Barnett? Yes. And I am also a yes. So, that is unanimous uh vote. We um stand adjourned from our study session and will resume in closed session. Thank you to those who have joined us thus far. We'll see you again at 6:30. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Welcome everyone to the Jordan School District Board of Education meeting. Today is Tuesday, March 24th, 2026, and we are excited to have those of you joining us in person as well as as those of you who may be online. We are going to kick off the evening tonight with um a pledge of allegiance from some students at Herriman High School. So, we have a Recirate. I apologize if I'm ruining your last name. Um the senior class vice president, Evelyn Bateman, the junior class vice president, and Annie Peterson, the sophomore class vice president at Herriman High School um who will be doing the flag ceremony, and then we'll be led in the pledge of allegiance by Rejanne Conover, SBO vice president, Herriman High School. Please restate your name so it gets corrected. I'm sorry. Okay, we'll turn it to you guys. Color Guard, ten hut. Audience, please rise. Color Guard, forward march. Color Guard, present the colors. Please repeat the pledge after me. I 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. Color Guard, post the colors. Color Guard, dismissed. Everyone may be seated. Thank you. We will now have a reverence um from Aften Smith, the junior class president at Herriman High School. Jane Goodall once said, "What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make." As a student leader, I strive every day to ensure my peers feel seen and heard, but that responsibility doesn't re- rests solely on my shoulders. Each of you in this room holds the power to shape the environment where we learn and grow as students. By choosing to listen and act with intention, we can ensure that every student in our district isn't just attending school, but is truly valued within it. Together, we decide what kind of differences we want to make within our schools. Thank you. Thank you. And now, celebrating schools, uh we'll invite Spencer King, the SBO president at Herriman High, to the mic. Awesome. Okay, thank you for having me here, board. Um I'm super excited to be here and to talk to you guys about Herriman High School. Uh as she mentioned, my name is Spencer King. I'm the SBO president at Herriman, and I could just go on and on all day about Herriman High School. Uh unfortunately, I have a 5-minute time limit, so you don't get to hear all of that. But, I love Herriman, and I could go on and on about it forever. So, I'm just going to start off with some statistics that Herriman High School has this year. So, last year, we had a 94.7 grad rate, and that is an increase from the past 3 years. We are also one of the schools in Jordan School District that's recognized by the state of Utah for having a very high graduation rate over 80% for multilingual students last year. And this is so impressive to me because for a long time Herriman High School has a very diverse population, and this just shows that we've been succeeding at uh you know, helping these people uh with their academic careers, and that this reward just reflects that on us. Uh we also have two currently 2,530 students that are enrolled with 13 uh sorry, more than 1,300 of those students are currently enrolled in AP and concurrent enrollment classes. That means that over 50% of the students at Herriman High School are currently enrolled in college-level courses at Herriman. Uh one of my favorite parts about Herriman especially is our inclusion course. Uh we have a peer mentoring program, which is one of the more popular classes at Herriman High School, and it is just great to get the students involved. Uh this year, uh our basketball team or sorry, our unified basketball and soccer team are state champions. That uh also shows that we're succeeding at this involvement program that we've been working with. Uh going into the sporting acti- uh sporting events, sorry. Um we have had an exceptional year for sports. This year, we have had many teams finish in the top 10 in state, and I'm going to go through those really quick. Girls volleyball was ranked number eight in state. Girls soccer was ranked number nine in state. Boys football was ranked number five in state. Uh boys basketball was ranked number 10 in state. Drill finished ninth in state. And our cross country team won back-to-back state championships this year. They are also a nationally recognized cross country program and finished second at nationals this year. Our spring sports are also starting, and while those rankings have not come out yet, we know that we will keep this trend going, and we will keep succeeding in these areas. But beyond just the sports, our performing arts have also been succeeding. Uh what I love about Herriman is that it's so unique that there's so many different options and abilities for people to get involved in these performing arts. What we have is a amazing drama program where we've put on three different Well, we've put on two school plays and we're preparing to put on a third this year, and they have both been incredible. There's We also have a fantastic improv team that is hilarious. I went there a few weeks ago, and it was such a good show. We also have an amazing band team. And what I love about our band is that we have so many different options and abilities for kids to get involved in band. Not only do we have your marching band, but we also have jazz band, percussion band, concert band, and we have color guard, which just allows so many kids to get involved in different ways, no matter what instrument you play. Uh our choir and our orchestra are also amazing. What I love about our choir and orchestra is they often host regional competitions. And what that does is that extends their influence outside of just Jordan School District and outside of our region. It extends across the state and even to some schools outside of the state. And finally, the last thing with performing arts is just how accessible it is. What we have is we have classes available for beginners. So, if you're new to it, you can start up and our teachers will walk you through the process of this. Or, if you're experienced, then you can be in the higher-level classes and you'll not feel left out that way. So, no matter where your level is, you can find your your place to belong. Uh we also have an incredible staff at Herriman High School. This has been a year of adjustment as we have a brand new principal and a brand new administration, but this administration has been succeeding tremendously. When I walk in the front doors past the office ladies, I just see their smile and I know that I I'm welcomed and I belong. We even have amazing lunch ladies and amazing uh hall monitors who know names and they'll go up to people and they'll talk to them, and I just think that's incredible because it just shows that we have such a good sense of community at Herriman High School. Uh so, going into that sense of community, uh we have such a deep culture at Herriman High School, and each year we try to focus on specific things. So, I'm going to have my friend Annie pass out some pins to you guys. And on these pins, we have our motto for the year. And our motto this year is staying strong. And this motto really really excites me because it has a lot of deep meanings. But my favorite meaning that it means just shows that we're strong as a Mustang family. As I've mentioned, we're a big community and we love being together and unified and this shows that. That's our goal for this year was to continue to unify each other and grow together as one as a community and we have been able to do that. And I just want to leave you guys with my personal just like feelings about Herriman High School. I love Herriman. Like I said, I could go on and on, but my time's up. So, if you want to hear that, just come approach me any other time. But it's amazing. Herriman's a fantastic place to be in in my opinion, the best place to be in the district. But it's fantastic. I love Herriman. It's been a great sense of community and we're excelling in all sorts of categories. So, thank you and thank you again for having us here. Thank you. That is infectious enthusiasm. We really appreciate you being here. Can we just ask anyone who is here to support a student at Herriman High School, will you stand up and let us recognize you? Parents or staff, administration. Thank you so much. And we also have a pin for the students. So, all of the students, if you will stand up and just start at this end of the dais and then work your way down. We'd love to shake your hand and give you a pin. >> The best part about board meeting every month is being able to hear about the great things happening in our schools and we recognize the leadership of our student government. So, thank you. We also recognize how busy you are. And so, we are not offended. Please feel free to stay, but we're not offended if you need to slip out during the meeting. Um we are sure grateful that you were here though. Okay, let's move into resolutions of appreciation, Ms. Dean. Whereas dedicated service to Jordan School District was faithfully and effectively performed. Whereas they consistently and conscientiously executed their responsibilities with integrity, honesty, and loyalty. Be it therefore resolved that the Jordan School District Board of Education and District Administration declare appreciation for the outstanding service that was performed in the cause of public education and hereby express our sorrow at the death of these valued friends. Leilani Marie Assay, lunch manager. John Burnell Christopherson, bus driver. Judy Jones Jackman, teacher and teacher specialist. Kristie K. Johnson Nuñez, teacher. Lynn Johnston Price, office assistant and secretary. Terry Eugene Shoemaker, teacher, Brad Michael Smith, custodian. Um we appreciate you um remembering those friends every board meeting. Uh let's now move into board member recognitions and let's start with Ms. Barrow. Thank you. Um tonight I have invited uh Ms. Gina Tarro and the Bingham High School Ballroom team to come uh so I could recognize them. So, if you want to come up to the front, I'm going to talk about all your accolades as you all come up here. So, uh I been meant to have them come last month, but they've been very busy and they are going to have to leave as soon as we're done here cuz they have more things to go to. But, back in January and February, across two state competitions, the Division II team got seven first place wins, the Division I team got six second place wins, and one first place win. And I wanted to recognize them. This is actually the 10-year anniversary for Bingham Ballroom team. Uh Ms. Tarro started the team from scratch in 2016 and each year they the team kind of makes up half returning members, half new members, which is just amazing. And they started as a performance team and then started competing and just within the last 3 years, they have gone from having one team that competed in Division III to jumping up to two teams competing in Divisions I and II. The team is made up of students from all different programs at Bingham from athletics to choir, theater, band, orchestra, dance co, and more. They've also had two Bingham High School Ballroom alumni come back to the program as assistant coaches, including Sophia Wright and Ashley Miller. And of her students, Ms. Terrell says, "These students are some of the most kind and accepting students I have had the privilege of working with. It has been an absolute blessing watching this team evolve and grow. And I'm so happy to have you here tonight to recognize you students and to recognize this program that brings you all together and gives you uh so many learning opportunities and a chance to grow. And I'd like to thank Ms. Terrell and her team for supporting you and teaching you. And thank you to the students for your example of hard work and dedication in representing Jordan School District and to your parents as well for supporting you. So, if it's okay with the rest of the board, I'd like to give them a pin as well. >> Could Could they turn around and wave to YouTube? Wave to the camera. >> WAVE TO THE CAMERA. UM I DON'T KNOW IF MS. Terrell would like to say anything, but Great. Awesome. Send us the details. I'd love to come. Great. Okay, if you guys want to make your way around the dais. Yes, of course. Congratulations. your accomplishments. Good job. Good job. Yeah. Thank you for coming. Good job, Xander. Good job. Good job. Way to go. Thanks for coming. You guys did awesome this season. Good job. Good job. Good job. Way to go. Way to go. Good job, Charlie. Good to see you. Good job. Good job. Yeah, good job. Good job, Weston. Good job. Thank you. Good job. Good job. You really should take a picture with us. >> Yeah. I know. I was going to say it. Come back in. So fun. Thank you. All right. Are there other recognitions by board members? Or if you would like to continue, Ms. Barrow, you can do that, too. I do have more, but if anybody else wants to go first, you're welcome to it. You want me to finish? Okay, I will finish. Thank you for that. Um I just wanted to mention that I got to go to a little bit of the GEAC uh event they had for the middle school clubs. I was able to I couldn't stay too long, but I was able to take my son with me, who will be going to West Jordan Middle School next year, and we got to visit their table and talk to the lovely students who were there about Latinos in Action. It was a lovely event. Um I also got to go to quite a few outstanding educator awards that the Jordan Education Foundation put on. Um and that was a lot of fun. It's a lot of work going to all of the schools. So, I went to as many as I could. And I actually got to see one of the yard signs out in the wild, so to speak. And that was really fun cuz it was at a house that I've passed to many times, and it was great to know that there was a one of our outstanding educators that lived there. And I just hope that all of our educators know how much we appreciate them and their efforts to provide safe classrooms and quality education to our students. And the last thing I'd like to mention is that I went to many school community council meetings. There were a lot in March. But I always get a lot out of them. I love going to see the parents and the teachers who attend those meetings and are working together to help the students at their schools. So, thank you all for your efforts at those council meetings. Um I wanted to mention how between our Anyway, our last general meeting and now I had the opportunity actually it was all last week, I think, that I saw some um amazing student ambassadors in action. And I feel like a couple um a couple portrait of a graduate attributes that they demonstrated were being responsible teammates and empathetic communicators. And first at the unified basketball tournament, the state unified basketball tournament, um I was able to sit with West Jordan High School administration and uh coaches. And I loved seeing the responsible teamwork, um, in play on the court. And also, the students were ambassadors, uh, I mean, what was I saying? They they reached out and they talked to me and told me about playing the game. I really, really appreciated that. Um, and I've just got to say that the level of play at the state tournament versus the district tournament is a lot more competitive. So, it's very, very competitive. And I I'm really grateful that the Delta Center would let Unified Sports, um, hold the tournament there. And then also, at the GIAC student celebration, I was so impressed with the student ambassadors from the middle schools. They were promoting their schools and um, their schools' clubs and some of them were more confident than others in talking to an adult who was curious about their school and their club, but all of them were willing to practice skills of empathetic listening by, um, of empathetic communicator, sorry, by listening and responding to my questions about their their schools and their programs. And then, the third and last thing I want to mention is, um, at the Majestic Student Art Show, three sixth graders who were school like student ambassadors, they gave me a grand tour through the halls of all of the artwork and they showed attributes of both being responsible teammates and empathetic communicators with the way they took turns, um, explaining the art to me and talking about the state standards that were met in the development of of the art projects that I asked about and they I feel like they were responsible teammates by um sharing what they liked about their schoolmates projects throughout all the grades. So, I am really appreciative of the way our schools and our our teachers are helping our students develop the attributes of portrait of a graduate. I also wanted to mention um the outstanding educator awards. Um It is a lot of work and I really appreciate all the effort that the Jordan Education Foundation goes to um in order to find sponsors for these awards and just the planning and everything involved in helping our teachers feel recognized and seen and validated for all of their hard work. So, it's a lot of work and I appreciate it and I really appreciate the the sponsors who help provide these awards to our our outstanding educators. I have a couple. Um first of all, a congratulations and shout out to West Hills Concert Choir who um were at the Advanced Choir Festival and were able to earn perfect scores from both of the judges. Very exciting. Um and then also the Copper Hills High School Jazz Band who received superior ratings at the Varsity Jazz Band Festival. Um and I just want to shout out the students who did that because it was kind of a big deal. So, Andrew Boden, Sean Brayer, Beckett Brenson, Adam Carbeen, uh Owen Carver, Jeremy Castro Rancel, Anthony Diaz, uh Jack Erickson, Connor Francis, Asia George, David Martinez, Noella Morales, Alda Adultri, sorry if I said that wrong, Eden Nickoleason, Mason North, Jacob Pace, Alex Rich, Jayden Rohan, Ben Rollins, and Cedar Sawyer. Very exciting to see those kinds of successes. I also got to attend the sixth grade play at Midas Creek, which is always a real treat because it is an original play every year. And um there was so much polish on those students. They really were exceptional, and I was so grateful for that invitation. And then, if I can also echo what a a privilege it was to attend some of the outstanding educator awards. Um I do not envy the job of choosing which educator to honor because there is so much good happening in our schools, but this year was especially significant for me because my big sister got honored. And um just being able to see from another lens what it meant and the momentum that it brought to her career was really heartwarming. And so, I am grateful for the effort that our foundation goes to to make sure that um teachers and educators are recognized for the great ways that they're benefiting the lives of our students. Anyone else waiting to speak? Great. So many good things happening. And we're coming into that exciting time of year where there's lots of opportunities to go and watch kids be amazing. Okay, superintendent, you have recognitions tonight? Just briefly, I want to thank the grounds crew in Jordan School District. Think about the many blades of grass, the areas that have to be weeded and taken care of in our district. We have many, many acres that have to be cared for. And I'm more aware of the weather than ever before in this position for potential snow days. I can say that now. I think it's late enough in the season. I'm still too early, aren't I, Scott? I'm still too early. Um But But also, yeah, we've had back-to-back snow days in April. All right, withdrawn. Withdrawn. But I do um I do appreciate all the work that our grounds crew has to do. Uh we take it for granted as we walk up to a school how nice they look. And as I've been out of state seeing other schools, I'm reminded how well cared for our grounds and our schools are. So thanks to our maintenance crews and our grounds crew and anyone else who has crew in their title because uh they do great work that um we take for granted because they do such great job. Thank you. I started noticing weeds in my yard in February this year. So I feel like their job has multiplied recently. >> Yes. Um thanks for that shout-out. Okay, let's now move into our public comment section. Um and tonight we have a couple of opportunities for public comment. So, the first one will be public comment on the student ski fee schedule, and then we'll move into our regular public comments. But, for both, we have the same guidelines. So, we love to hear from you. We encourage engagement and comment from our residents, students, and employees. Um, but just a few reminders, the board will not take public comment on personnel issues or statements regarding the character, professional competence, or physical or mental health of an individual during board meetings. If you have concerns to that end, we would just request that you email board members directly. Um, also, those wishing to have comments heard by the board are asked to list the topic they intend to discuss as well as their name on the sign-up document or email. Um, and hopefully you saw the sign-up the little computer as you're walking in. Um, a reminder to keep comments age-appropriate. We are streaming this, and we don't know who all could be listening. The board does not discuss issues that are not on the meeting's agenda. So, the board may ask staff to follow up on issues raised, or may address them at a future meeting. So, just a reminder that silence by the board on an issue does not suggest support or opposition to the message given. So, we'll now take public comment, and we will hear first the in-person comments, and then we'll follow that by comments received electronically. And a reminder that both in-person and emailed comments can last a maximum of 3 minutes. So, we just ask you to be respectful of that time. And a reminder that when you're called to the podium, we ask you please to state your name. So, moving into comments on our fee schedule, this has been an ongoing discussion for a few board meetings. We want to give opportunities for any comment, but I don't see any signed up. Is there anyone here who is hoping to speak about fees that didn't see the sign up? Okay, perfect. Then, any online that were fees? Okay. Then, let's go ahead and move into our regular public comment. I have one person signed up, and it's a familiar name. We're so happy to invite Representative Tracy Miller up to the podium. Thank you. I am uh Tracy Miller. Appreciate the opportunity to be here. I'm here to discuss the white copy paper bid. Just kidding, I'm not. It's my favorite. Are you in favor or opposed? Whatever you decide, I'm good with. Um no, just uh as a legislate as a legislator at the end of this legislative session, I just wanted to really uh let you know how grateful I am for Jordan School District and for your involvement during the legislative session. Um having Mr. Larson up there at the Capitol was a game changer this year. I mean, there's so much that goes on in the public education appropriations committee meetings. It's not a bill, so not everybody's following it, but a lot goes on in there. And to have him be in there and in in in person and hearing and what's happening and legislators can just go right up and and talk to him and and we can have little, you know, powwows after the meeting's over. It really um made a big difference this year, and I know he's busy and he has a ton to do, and it's a lot of time out of his schedule to come up there, but I just wanted you to know that it makes makes a really big difference to have him there. Um and then also uh Mr. Anderson, I think you all know just how well respected he is up there. Um he's very, very effective. And um just so many legislators that he has such a good relationship with and that, you know, will talk to him and share bills with them. I mean, I call him to find out what bills are coming up. Um he is just in the know with things. And so, um it's just really, really beneficial to have um his involvement and his engagement up there, too. So, thank you um for allowing that to happen. It it they were huge helps to me personally, but just to the entire process and to the legislature. Um it's really great to be up there and and just hear what a great reputation that Jordan School District has. And I I was in the rotunda when they and someone stopped me and we talked for like 30 minutes about something Jordan School District was doing and um and so, I love that. I love being able to hear it from that other end. So, thank you all for all of your involvement, Superintendent, all the board members, um for being involved in the process, for coming up there, um taking time to engage. It really does make a difference. So, just wanted to pass that thank you along. And it's great to see everybody. Thank you, Representative. And we could reflect those things right back. We are so grateful for the way that you represent education and our state on the hill. Very, very grateful for your expertise. Okay, is there anyone else who was hoping to give comment tonight but maybe missed the sign-up? All right. So, quick night. We do have a few emailed comments. So, we will turn the mic over to Mr. Larson. Deborah Springer. To whom it may concern, I've recently moved to West Jordan and am interested in community development of the area. As a retired teacher, I'd love to see investment into areas that aid and enhance opportunities for the young. I feel building a field house at Copper Hills will be one of these investments. Not only improving opportunities for the students, but also providing a space for building community relationships and pride in belonging to such a wonderful city. I've tried to list the many benefits that come to mind, though I am sure there are many more. Weatherproof training for year-round practices, reduction in scheduling conflicts, and better facilities. More dedicated indoor space would provide better scheduling, allowing for practice times that interfere less with academics. The additional space can be used for youth and community events and possibly generate revenue. The large open design can accommodate a wide array of non-athletic events, like marching band rehearsals, robotics competitions, and large student gatherings. Also allowing for repurposing other areas of the school. Overall, this investment would be a wonderful enhancement and offer greater opportunities to the youth and our community. Thank you for your consideration. Deborah Springer. Mike Taylor. Dear members of the Jordan School District Board, I am writing to express my strong support for the construction of a new indoor sports field house at Copper Hills High School. As part of the growing community served by Jordan School District, the school has consistently demonstrated excellence in academics, athletics, and student involvement. However, our student athletes face significant weather-related challenges throughout the year that directly impact their ability to train, compete, and stay safe. Utah's long winters bring freezing temperatures, snow, and icy conditions that make outdoor practice facilities unreliable and sometimes unusable for extended periods. Teams are often forced to cancel practices, share limited indoor gym space, or modify training schedules in ways that reduce preparation time. A dedicated indoor field house would provide a safe, consistent environment for athletes in sports such as football, soccer, track and field, lacrosse, baseball, and softball to train effectively regardless of weather conditions. In addition to harsh winters, our athletes must also contend with brutal summer heat. High temperatures can create unsafe training environments, increase the risk of heat exhaustion and dehydration, and limit the intensity and duration of workouts. An indoor climate-controlled field house would protect students from both extreme cold and extreme heat, ensuring safer year-round sports training. The benefits of an indoor field house extend well beyond convenience. First and foremost, it promotes athlete safety. Practicing on frozen, muddy, and or overheated outdoor surfaces increases the risk of preventable injuries. A controlled indoor facility would provide appropriate turf and track surfaces designed to reduce those risks. Second, a field house would enhance competitive performance by allowing consistent year-round development. Schools with access to indoor training facilities give their athletes a distinct advantage in conditioning, skill building, and teamwork. Providing this opportunity ensures equal equity across the district and allows our student athletes to reach their full potential. Additionally, the field house would serve more than athletic teams, physical education classes, off-season conditioning programs, marching band practice, youth sports camps, and community events could all utilize the space. This multi-purpose use would maximize the district's investment while strengthening school and community engagement. Copper Hills High School has a proud tradition of athletic achievement and student dedication. Investing in a modern indoor field house would demonstrate a forward-thinking commitment to student wellness, safety, and excellence, no matter the season. Thank you for your time, consideration, and continued service to our students and community. I respectfully urge the board to prioritize the development of an indoor field house at Copper Hills High School. Sincerely, a lifelong West Jordan resident, Michael Taylor. Paulina Mangum. Hello, I am writing as a concerned member of the community regarding the placement of a G5 tower on the grounds of Jordan Ridge elementary school. While I understand the importance of expanding and improving our city's technological infrastructure, I am deeply concerned about the potential health risk for children who spend a significant amount of time at this school. To date, there have not been significant long-term studies on the effects of prolonged exposure to G5 towers, especially for children whose bodies are still developing. Given these uncertainties, I respectfully request that the city consider relocating this tower to a site away from the elementary school. Our children's health and safety must remain the highest priority, and taking precautionary steps now will help ensure their well-being in the future. This request is not made lightly. It is made out of love for our children, respect for our educators, and hope that our city will always put health and safety above convenience. We ask you to stand with us in taking a precautionary approach, one that errs or airs, depending on where you live, on the side of protecting those who cannot protect themselves. Thank you for your time, leadership, and for giving serious consideration to this matter. We, as a community, would be grateful for your support in finding a safer location for this tower. With concern and respect, Paulina Mangum. you. All right. That concludes our public comment portion. So, let's move on to a motion to approve the consent agenda items. Now, I accept a motion. I move that we approve the consent agenda items A 4A board minutes and 4B school land trust final plans for 2024-2025. All right, we have a motion by Ms. Barrow, a second by Ms. Wood that we approve the consent agenda items, board minutes, and school land trust final plans for 2024-2025. Is there any discussion? I'm about to discuss. Did you just turn on your Oh, I just turned it on just in case I wanted to say something. Perfect. Sorry, I want to make sure everybody has a chance. Okay, hearing none, all those in favor of the motion, please say I. I. And any um opposed? All right, that motion passes unanimously. Um I'll now hear a motion to accept the consent agenda. I move that we accept the consent agenda items A expenditures, B financial statements, and C non-compliance reports. Second. Okay, we have a motion by Ms. Barrow, a second by Ms. Wood to accept the consent agenda. Is there any discussion to that motion? Okay, hearing none, all in favor, please say I. I. And opposed. Okay, that motion carries unanimously. Let's move on to bids. I move that we accept the Copper Hills High School classroom furniture bid. Second. Okay, we have a motion by Ms. Wood, a second by Ms. Barrow to accept the Copper Hills High School classroom furniture bid. Is there any discussion to that motion? I actually have a question. Um I am curious about the source of funding being TSS A funds. I understand that we can't make capital expenditures with those funds. I want to make sure that this is an approved area to use TSS A funds. I don't know which of you I'm looking at, but someone. A very astute question, President. TSS A normally would not approve allow capital funds. The nature of these uh the furniture items we could look at uh usually capital funds would be considered things that last a long time and or cost more than $5,000. So, depending on the nature of what's being purchased, there may be an argument here that it could be TSS A funds. Um I think the intent would be to work with the school further on uh more specifics and what other funding items they might have there to try to work through that. So, can I just ask a follow-up? How how do What is the normal process for replacing worn-out furniture in a school? Is Do we have like a specific fund that schools can request from or does do they have to come up with those funds out of individual budgets? Oh, excuse me, both. We have a fund that won't cover everything, but can help take the edge off and we've used that with Copper Hills over the years. Okay. I was there for my caucus meeting this last week and I can see the need. I They're definitely older desks. So, I understand why this request is being made, but I'm curious if there's another approach for funding it. They do They do have a significant amount of turn of the century furniture there. It's true. So, do you have a recommendations for how we would proceed here? Do we delay bidding or approving this bid? What I would suggest Well, what I would suggest is that the board go ahead and approve it if if you're inclined to that, of course, but then let us work with the school on the particulars cuz whether it's if it qualifies for TSSSA, great, but if it doesn't, then we can work with the school on trying to figure out the other funding sources that would be available to try and help one with it, but either way they would need the bid approved in order for to do that. So, once we've approved a bid, you still have the wiggle room to change the source of funding. Yes. >> That's we're not locking into that. I'm not saying it's not approved. I just It said building improvements in the description that I read and it made me go, "Oh, I just don't want to go into murky water." So. Okay. >> Would it be smart to make an amendment on the end of that that contingent on proper funding? It's It's to you. Well, that's a good idea. Do you want to amend the motion? So, I'd like to amend the motion. Let me make sure I get this right. To approve the Copper Hills High School classroom furniture based on compliant funding through TSSA or other sources. Does that cover it? Sounds great. And I will second that. Okay. Perfect. So, we have an amended motion from Ms. Wood and seconded by Ms. Barrow that we approve the bid for Copper Hills High School classroom furniture contingent on the source of funding um being verified. You said it better than I did. All right. Is there any further discussion? Okay. Hearing none, all in favor, please say I. I. I. And any opposed? That motion carries unanimously. I move that we approve the Herriman High School bid for Chromebooks. I'll second. We have a motion by Mr. Danford, a second by Ms. Wood that we approve the bid for Herriman High School Chromebooks. Is there discussion to that motion? I'll just put out there one more time that I would love a continued conversation about how we are going to use existing Chromebooks that we own in the district and are no longer um able to use after the legislative session this year. Um but I'm okay with this one. I'm sure we have plenty. So. And I agree with you on that. I have the same desire. So, can I ask a question when you make that request, what happens next? Is this something that the board will discuss or you just asking administration to consider it? Yeah, I think we will have a future discussion on this item. I just want to keep it top of mind just to make sure that we're using the resources that we have now at their highest effect. And then if if we need to continue buying Chromebooks, which I am sure we will, we have a big district, but I would just hate to see money that has already been spent go to waste. And especially with the life of a Chromebook. So. Okay. Other discussion? Yeah, of course. I I would just comment that I am not too concerned about the legislation in concern with connection with high schools because of what it rolled out that high schools will still be using Chromebooks and parents can opt out of that. Plus, we are a year out from getting information back from uh USBE and then us implementing. So, I am comfortable with this right now, but I do like that we keep it top of mind because it will affect our elementary and middle schools a lot. And I should clarify. I When I talk about economical use of our resources, I'm saying, do we have surplus now at elementary schools that we could redistribute out to use at secondary? So, and and maybe we don't, but I just love to make sure that we're being wise stewards of that investment. As we uh we know that before we bring bids back after this lock gets closer, We're going to need to have a better answer there, but April 20th and 21st are the days where John and I will be down in St. George learning how to operationalize all the laws, hearing from USBE about exactly what all of these parameters mean. Some of that is subject to interpretation by USBE. So, we'll come back with a better idea of exactly what's required and when and how that fits in. In the meantime, we'll be assessing what devices we have right now and how we can make the best use of those. So, And whether or not there's a better device out there now. We're always on the lookout. All right. Yes, might be. This just became a whole other conversation. Okay. Um other discussion? Okay. All in favor of approving the bid for Harmon High School Chromebooks, please say I. I. >> I. And any opposed? Great. Give you a drum roll. I get so nervous with this. I move that we approve the white copy paper bid. I'll second. Okay. Hear a motion by Dr. Robinson and a second, I think Ms. Wood might have beat you there. A third from Mr. Demford that we approve Central Warehouse's bid for white copy paper. Is there discussion to that motion? There's a reason why I like to make the bid, okay? So, and this is by the way, I think it's the one of the largest that I have to check with Mr. Larson, $118,608. Um my doctorate is in technology. I love technology. I think it's really in enhancing how we learn in our schools. I think it's moving us in the 21st century and we can put whatever barriers we want to it, but it's going to come. And so, but I love blended learning. I love that we use technology and blend it with what we've done in the past and blend it with paper and pencil. And um I once asked Mr. Larson to give me a rundown of our white paper um count and it's it's gone up as we've used technology. So, as we talk about this technology, I think it's really important that we blend our education and I think our district does a super good job at this. I've seen it firsthand and so, I love buying white paper. And >> And this is like a three or four month um how how long will this be? Three months supply. So. Both bids in 2025 were 93 thousand. So. >> mean I think this is an indication that our teachers are blending um technology with um Well, we don't want to say old school. Analog. Um one thing that I think is interesting about this bid specifically is that it's a cooperative purchase with several of the Wasatch Front public school districts. Is that for cost savings? Is that why we do it together? Yes. I think it also just helps the districts collaborate with one another and help one another as well cuz they take turns as to who who takes the lead on that. Oh, interesting. So, thank you Granite this time. Um and I think >> Oh, go ahead. I just think it's a fun visual to note that Jordan School District's needs for the next three months will take five truckloads full of paper. So. Well, that's what I was going to say. Someday I want to be there when they deliver this this product. So if if you can put that on your radars and invite me to the unloading of the truck, that would be so cool. Interesting. Okay, any other discussion? I was just going to say I think it's a great math question that I'm going to pose to my sixth grader to figure out how many sheets of paper are in five truckloads. I love that. >> us everything but the total, didn't they? Total per sheet. Okay. So, all in favor of the motion, please say I. I. And any opposed? Okay, that motion carries unanimously. I move that we accept the bid from facility services for trip hazard removal. I'll second it. Okay, we have a motion by Mr. Barnett, a second by Dr. Robinson to approve a bid for trip hazard removal. Is there discussion? Okay, hearing none, all in favor, please say I. I. And any opposed? Okay. Bid carry or the motion carries unanimously. I had a question, I forgot. It doesn't like I still would have voted in favor. >> have a comment. >> would Sure, it's a comment. Okay, great. My comment is I was wondering if there were certain areas of the district that are more prone to these trip hazards. And like do they keep rising? Are we just going to grind down to dirt one day in some of these areas? But I don't know if anybody has an answer to that, but something I thought of. You ever seen that before, Dave? It's where the trees are growing the longest the largest. >> There you go. >> want to hear from Dave actually. We pretty much see the issue throughout the district. Um Um Dunford said tree roots, you know, will start start them to rise up. We get a lot in the winter months, not as much this winter cuz we had such a mild winter, but as we get the freeze-thaw cycle, it'll freeze and raise the ground, and then one slab will will not go down into place. And so, um to make sure that we're trying to keep in ADA compliance, we're continually it's just an ongoing process to to keep them ground down. It's a lot cheaper than replacing the concrete. Sometimes we have to if it's extreme, but if we can grind them, it's a it's a cheaper route. Have you ever ground one to the dirt? Not yet. Thank you. If he hasn't seen it, it doesn't exist. Okay. Um we could potentially take the next two together. I'll make the motion. I'll make the motion that we approve the facility services stadium lighting and AV system upgrade at Bingham and Riverton high schools. I second. We have a motion by Dr. Robinson, a second by Mr. Dunford that we approve a bid for upgrading stadium lighting and AV systems at both Bingham and Riverton high school. Is there discussion to that motion? I did have a question on it. A month or so ago, we went through summer projects, and we included we hadn't previously included, but we did include after the fact Elk Ridge Middle School auditorium upgrades. Um And I was curious why that that that project seemed to be handled differently rather than just coming to a bid like these two. Um Yeah, why why were these two not part of a summer project? Maybe is my question. They have their own budget for it now. You had a You were part of that. Yeah, about a year ago. >> We approved that. Yeah. But but but that didn't apply to the Elkridge situation. >> though. We At the time we were discussing outdoor stadium lighting and sound, but the way that the source of funding reads is capital audio-visual upgrade. So, I don't know. How how would you help us understand that? So, last year the finance committee uh put an additional million dollars uh for the next four years in our our capital budget to address uh stadium lighting and sound systems. And so, we we did uh two of them last year, um which took up that money and then this year we're we're proposing two more and then the following year we'll have one one additional in there. And so, the Elkridge upgrades didn't fit into that same budget. It was it was a separate No, it's pretty much as you can see by these bids, it's pretty much encompassing that that budget in there. >> So, It's not that it didn't fit the category, it's just they couldn't we couldn't afford it. We spent our budget with these two. So, we needed to take Elkridge out of a different budget. So, I'm curious though, when I look at the title of that, I'm I'm curious if there is an ongoing need if you were to say lighting and audio-visual um that could really be more expansive if we're talking about auditoriums and interior. Is there a need for a specific budget there? Or is that more of a case-by-case? Yeah, and and there is a budget for it. It's just not It's just not a healthy enough budget to tackle the stadium lights. So, there's an ongoing uh budget in there that we're able to you know, maybe tackle one auditorium per year in there. All right. So, what if the 4 years became a permanent budget? What would pros and cons of if the 4-year budget became a permanent budget and you used that budget for all sound and audio equipment adjustments? Talk to me about the pros and cons of both of those. The intent was to do all the stadium lights. Correct. But what if that became an audio budget, an audio enhancement budget in general? Yeah, we have uh we have a lot of need and a lot of our um systems in our auditoriums and gymnasiums and stuff are getting a a little getting old. Um I don't know if it would require an additional that dollar amount uh cuz typically the sound systems >> You don't need a million dollars a year. Yeah, so but but it could certainly have an increase in that budget would would be beneficial. That's something we'll consider as a finance committee. Sounds good. That would have been a good idea. Thanks, Dave. I mean, the Elk Ridge one should come to the next board meeting. What? That was just a little bit later. It took us a little time to get that designed. So, Thank you. Okay, other discussion? Okay. Um All in favor of the motion, please say I. I. >> I. And any opposed? The motion carries unanimously. I move that we approve the facility services but a bid for the intercom system upgrade at multiple locations, specifically three locations. I'll second. Okay, we have a motion by Mr. Denford, a second by Mr. Barnett that we approve a bid for intercom system upgrades at multiple locations. Is there discussion? I would like to hear from finance committee if you have any insight on this and why it came up and if this is capital projects safety budget well spent in your guys's opinion. So, we recognize this is an odd request. It didn't go through summer projects. It didn't even go through the facilities committee. We were having a finance committee meeting in the district office and coincidentally they had an earthquake alarm that day. And the only way we knew about it was from a phone call. There was no PA system. There was no intercom system in that building and that was very concerning to us as a safety issue. I mean, yeah, we can handle it as a as a drill, but what if that had been an actual emergency and we're making phone calls around the building to warn people. So, we just requested that they look into it and say what would it cost? Could we Could we pitch that to the facilities committee? And it came back. It was well timed just as we all saw that our our summer project list came under budget and we just felt like could could we go ahead and put this on the agenda as a bid. I reached out to facilities committee chair and said this is something we'd really like to recommend that we move forward with because we saw firsthand that this was not a good situation. That they're using a phone system instead of an intercom system for emergencies in three of our main buildings. So Mr. Barnett gave approval to add it to the agenda and there it is. But yes, we do believe this is money well spent. We have always prioritized safety which is really why we felt an urgency here because of the safety nature of this and given the just the perfect storm of we were there, we saw firsthand the need, it's a safety issue and we're having a year where our summer projects came in under budget. I am curious how the intercom system like will be will people be able to hear it from hallways and things of that nature cuz I know at least in the auxiliary building there's like a really long winding hallway to get from one section to another. So I just want to make sure that with this system we're covering all of our all of our bases so to speak. So we've been working with the engineers on this one and they have designed it where we will have full coverage throughout the building so that'll include conference rooms, that'll include exterior warehouses so it'll reach the the entirety of the building. So, can I ask um where This is not a building where children are. Do they still follow the same rules of practiced drills for emergencies? We were there for one. Yes. They just not to the extent that schools would. Okay. >> But, we still have drills that we do every year. And do the safety Does the safety law requiring um access to call 911 apply here? The panic button alert bill um extended the the deadline till next year, June of '27, and and it applies to uh primary teachers within a classroom setting. So, not aids, uh not assistants, just the main teacher in a classroom setting. So, uh district offices, media centers, main offices, etc. where classroom instruction is not occurring are exempt from that requirement. Perfect. Thank you. Other questions? All right. Um all those in favor of the motion to approve a bid for intercom system upgrade at multiple locations, please say I. I. And any opposed? Okay, that motion carries unanimously. All right, we have no special business items this evening. So, let's move into our superintendent's report. I just want to um re-emphasize something that was said earlier about the uh outstanding educator awards. I appreciate all the work that goes into scheduling that. Um I feel like it gets refined every year. We learn some things every year. And um we just had a lot of excited families that came from far away and were really touched by the recognition. So, um I appreciate what the foundation has done. And uh like I said, we'll keep moving forward to to make it the best that we can that we possibly can. Um and they just really paved the way uh for us to be able to honor honor teachers in a really important way. Um it's fun to see the students excited for their teachers. That's one of my favorite things is when the the students are so excited. And um it's a it's a nice tradition. And in 2 weeks I get to visit every school in a meaningful way. And uh I really appreciate that. So, and thanks to all of you who made time to at various times come and join us. And uh it's just it's it's a it's a great time to remember how important that job is and also how difficult it is. So, thank you. I was I was privileged to see maybe the one and only time superintendent was dressed head-to-toe as a shark. That was interesting. That was fun. Yes, I was. Uh that there was a an aquarium theme because of the uh the banquet being held at the aquarium this year. So, there were two shark costumes available. And I was uh privileged to get to wear one at the Carson Hamilton school for their event. But yes, thank you. That was every >> Superintendent shark do do do do do do do Superintendent shark do do do do do do That's right. >> not lost on me that you took the first round of wearing the costume. I thought that was strategically wise. That's right. End of the day, the costume changes a bit. Yeah. So, I heard. Heard it was delightful to put on by the end of the day. All right, let's move into committee reports and comments by board members. The audit committee has heard the report from So, we have an internal auditor. So, there's an independent auditor that audits our budgets, our finances, and comes and presents. And they are independent, we don't hire them, we don't influence them. And then there's an internal audit that we hire, and we tell them, "Please go look at this." Um and we ask them to look at conflicts of interest among staff and employees, teachers. And uh we have heard their audit report. There were no major concerns. And we feel like the staff has uh satisfactorily looked into each one. And uh the board, we as a audit committee were satisfied that there are no major alarms going off. And if you'd like some more details and some specifics, please reach out to Mr. Larson or a member of the audit committee. But they have completed their um audit, and we were very pleased with their work. I feel like now I need to make a statement that I had nothing to do with the recipients of the outstanding educator awards. There was no bias in the selection of a family member. Facilities committee is meeting this Thursday to continue our discussions on the enrollment um issues were that we're experiencing in West Jordan High School feeder. We're hoping to make some good progress and hopefully in the next month or so bring some recommendations to the board. I would like to report that JPEC is meeting tomorrow here. No, sorry. JLC building. I was testing you all. Um we're meeting at the JLC building at 6:30. Um so far I have coming uh to that is Nikki. Daryl was a question and Lisa will not be able to attend. So if you'd like to come Daryl, you >> 6:30. >> 6:30 to 8:00 at the JLC, yes. Tomorrow night. Um so some information that I found interesting from the Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting is that the rec centers, the county rec centers will they are moving I think that it's been implemented and has already been implemented at some centers a new point of sale system called Smart Rec and it is hoped that this will provide more data to the county to improve um programs and services that align with what the patrons want um want to happen, what they want to participate in. Um and it when I was at the meeting the the Parks and Rec Department was in the midst of budget talks and there are three main pillars of the master plan and I um well, I won't give any opinion, but um well, I will because now I've said that I will give an opinion. I think these are wise um pillars. One is to finish what has been started um the next pillar is to work on the deferred maintenance, which is maintenance has been deferred due to budget reasons and spend where the need is most pressing. Um and in case anybody is interested, 25% of the last ZAP tax um that the Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation received, 25% of it went to deferred maintenance and there is still a lot of um maintenance that has been deferred that is there. Um and if people like participating in um outdoor and parks and rec type events, there is a ribbon cutting at Big Cottonwood Regional Park East Playground. This is a new playground. I haven't been there, but I've heard it is innovative and fun. That is on Thursday, April 16th from 11:00 to 11:30 and this ribbon cutting is really geared towards children. So, it should be fun. Um and then the Dimple Dell Preservation um community, they will be having their 10th annual cleanup event on Saturday, April 25th from 8:30 to noon and if anybody wants to participate in in that, you can meet at any of the trail hit trailheads within Dimple Dell Park. Um And then also, are you up for the challenge? Join the Jordan Education Foundation for a morning of fitness, family, and philanthropy. Every step you take at the 2026 Challenge Run goes directly toward funding Jordan Education Foundation classroom grants, putting essential resources into the hands of our dedicated teachers. Represent your school. Help your campus win. The school with the highest participation rate takes home a $1,000 grant to fund new projects and technology. Family-friendly fun. Race your kids, challenge your neighbors, and enjoy the fresh air. The ultimate after-party. Once the finish line is crossed, the real fun begins. Celebrate with our local vendors, sponsors, and community members. When is this happening? May 9th, and the race starts at 9:00 a.m. And the celebration party kicks off immediately after, and it rolls until noon. Um And this is a very fun event, and I encourage anybody who is on the fence about participating, do it. And you can register for this event at jordneducationfoundation.org. Um And anyway, that's what I have. A A thank you to those of you who were able to attend the Region USBA meetings, um this last I don't know, since the last time we met. Um we are discussing legislative priorities. Hopefully, several of you were able to see the email that showed the materials that we worked on. Um and it's not too late to bring me your input. Those discussions will continue at our next JLC meeting. So, if you have other ideas of priorities that you would like to see us try to or try to take on as a state of um school boards, please let me know. I have just a couple of ideas that I wanted to float across to board members. Um in years past, we have written a thank you letter to legislators at the conclusion of the legislative session. And I have have been a little remiss. Probably should have asked this earlier, but is there interest in doing so again this year? I'm glad you asked cuz I thought about this and I then I forgot and so I would like to send thank yous. >> I did the exact same thing. Oh, shoot. I need to talk about that. So. Yes, good idea. Great. We will get something written up and then we will send it out to board members. Make sure you're comfortable signing your name to it. But, I know that we have on several occasions taken the opportunity to publicly thank our elected representatives for the wise decisions that they make for the state of Utah, but knowing that they are likely missing a minute or two of our board meetings, this is a good way to make sure that we really relay that thanks to them. Um all right. Just had one other follow-up to mention if that's Oh, please. >> Was that a conclusive all right that we were about to move on? >> one more thing on my list, but that was the end of the legislator thing. You Finish your list. I just wanted to be sure to drop one more item. I I just have one more. I've noticed that on our agenda tracker sheet, there have been a couple of requests made for different book studies. And so in trying to think about this, I wanted to ask first of all, so about 5 years ago, I think the board did their last book study, but there was a tradition of a monthly book that the board all read on their own time and then included a discussion as a part of a meeting. So let's start there and then I'll go into approaches. Is there interest among the board in renewing that practice? I would love it personally, but I There was one of the highlights of being on the board. It was very beneficial. It was very beneficial. And it was What was the frequency that you were mentioning that it used to occur at? Uh we did three or four chapters every month. Kind of depended on the book. And Brian, do you remember when you and I first got on the board and we read that book about the portrait of a graduate? I think that's That was the last one. the something um Nikki, is that Was that a book study? So before Okay, there was a time, this was when I was elected but not yet serving, that they just had an ongoing practice of There was always a book being read. It was discussed once a month. Is that right? So you would have a block of chapters, you would come back and read the book. Since that time, we have occasionally read a book when we felt like it was pertinent to a discussion before the board. But, one of the suggestions that was made by Dr. Robinson was that we participate in the America the America 250 um celebrations next year with a board book study. Um and then there was also a suggestion made that perhaps we revisit a study on the effects of technology use in the classroom. Um so, if you are interested in that, then I'll talk about some approaches. So, do you want to reinstate a book study as a board? Or would you rather keep it as issues arise? I would like to it is something I even put on our board member agenda item tracking list. I can see the benefit with it, so I'm up I'm open. Okay. So, it sounds like the majority is open to it. Um one thing that would do my heart good is when we have an issue before the board, for me, I think it's helpful to conduct a balanced study. And what I mean by that is it rather than choosing one book that may be biased to one side or the other, I really like the idea of potentially looking at a topical study. So, for example, these could be articles or books that um help to um form your knowledge and understanding before you make decisions that affect our students. So, um that would be my first suggestion is if So, let's use the example of the America 250 celebration. So, if we were to say this month we're going to focus or this book we're going to focus on um founding documents or something like that. Um and then board members could be given like a selection of articles and books that they could choose from. Or would you prefer to just have one book and we're all doing the same study? I I prefer one book that we're all or one article that we're all looking at. And is there willingness then to look at both sides of an issue? If if it is a specific issue that we're looking at. I think it depends on what we're studying, too. So, like if the issue is really broad, there's a lot of research articles out there whatever, we could maybe read separately. Another issue we might read together. So. That's a good point. So, now I'm just trying to think how could this work? Like how would we bring a grouping of books and articles? Is that something Dr. Godfrey that you feel like staff might be able to pull together some recommendations for us or If the board if you know what you want to read, we can buy it for you in whatever form. If you know the topic, but you'd like some articles and or a book on that topic, we can easily find materials for you. Okay, perfect. So, thank you. That was a big piece. I'm like, I don't know if I'm the most qualified person to choose a book. Okay. So, the request was made that in light of the legislation that passed this last session, Ms. Dean talked about an interest in studying cell phone use specifically. Um Was that how you phrased it? Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I should let you pitch this. Uh which what number on the um on the tracking sheet are you talking about? >> I think it's line Which line? >> Row 28. Um no, it was not about cell phone use. Um It was about >> by Jared Harbaugh. It was about um the use of student-facing technology in classrooms. >> Student-facing specifically. And and student-facing not like anyway, it I'm happy to be more Anyway, it's Do you want me So, like students using Chromebooks in classrooms. Okay. Yeah, that's that is a topic that I think is pertinent. Sorry, I should have read that more carefully. So, our board members are you comfortable with that being the first topic that we take on and then we'll task whoever Anthony delegates this to to recommend some readings. Certainly. I'm less interested in homework on an issue and more interested in education in general. That was was my perspective. We were doing books that weren't issue specific, which I worry could be seen as we're trying to sway each other in our decisions. We were doing books on education in general. I did Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, which is not has any doesn't it's not a specific issue, but man, there are some fascinating insights into education as a general. So, I would prefer to improve in terms of understanding the effect that education has. Uh Mr. Young recommended a book that I think about constantly about how education has become the legislature's easy way Everyone feels like they have to improve education. Everyone takes shots at education. And it was a fascinating look at that aspect that education gets beat up. And yet, when you go to change someone's school, no one wants to change your Don't change my schools. Don't change my child my child's school. And yet, everyone talks about oh, well, you know, it takes a village and and all the different programs that the government has put forth to change education and and another board member just did one on um what was it? Kind of a a personalities. Do you Are you Oh my god, what was it? >> Color code. It was like that. >> Similar. Um it was just understanding personalities. And so, we weren't I would be less interested in issue specific reading and more interested in champion education and a broader look at what would improve me as a board member. That's my say. I'm not really interested in researchers shaping our policy. I mean, it's great if you want to go read them. I think maybe providing list to us would be really helpful. Even buying a book if someone wants to read it, but then when we have the discussion and then I vote different than the researchers, then you're saying you're not even following the researcher. You know, that's my big fear also. So, I I really liked how we did it before. We picked books that were pertinent, but not the hot issue in the room. I see that perspective. I think though we could kind of go along with the way I see it is like the balance study, right? And how I would approach it is we could read articles and things on a topic from different angles, but then I would also want to make sure I'm getting information locally, right? What are teachers doing? What is working for teachers? What's not working for teachers? And if that's if they what's working for them is opposite of what the research said, then yeah, I'm going to go with our teachers cuz they're the ones right in front of me. And so, I would see it more as a balance study if we did a specific topic. Let me ask this. How did you select books during >> We took turns. A board member when it was my turn, I proposed Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. And so, that was my turn. Uh someone else proposed Crucial Conversations. We did, didn't we? >> Yeah, we did Crucial Conversations. >> Art Heart was the one. That's the one. What School Could Be, Quiet, In Praise of the American Educators. Those were the books. And uh What was his name? Can't remember the author now, but it was about future learning. It's that yellow book right there, I think. Yep. Tom Davidson or something. Crucial Conversations was great because it was about interacting as board members. It wasn't about an issue on the table. So, I think we can do both. I think there's room to do both. Yeah. Okay. Let's percolate on these options, maybe, and then we can come back with a proposal. Run it past everyone later. I just want to see if it was worth talking about at this point. Should we all kind of get our own ideas of books and things instead of having staff look at books? I think it will depend on which direction we go, and maybe it's instead of one or the other, it's a little of each, like Daryl was saying. I mean, Dr. So, is everyone comfortable? Just if you have thoughts on it, let someone on executive know, but we'll we'll try to come up with maybe some ideas and make this a a discussion in the future. Okay. Now I'm done. Uh just a quick update on something that we worked on and discussed in board meeting previously. Miss Barrow has been working with Westvale to address the bussing question. And it was discussed briefly in school community council. The school worked directly with the parent who had brought up the issue, and they have some solutions that don't involve bussing with that family, but they also called each family to assess what the situation is and are actively working to um address that. So, we appreciate her support, your support as a board, and we'll keep working on that. So, >> That is >> just a quick update. really quite beautiful. I love the idea of a community solving problems for one another. Thank you for facilitating that. Okay. Any others? Okay. We have reached the end of our agenda. Um and we stand adjourned. I forget. I don't have to ask for a vote. Thank you so much for coming. Have a great night. We don't have any other meetings, right? Nope.