Board Meeting Report for May 16, 2023

The Board of Education of Salt Lake City School District (the Board) held its latest meeting on Tuesday, May 16, 2023. You can view the meeting on the district’s YouTube channel. 

The meeting began with three recognitions. The Board recognized: 

• Frances Battle, the principal at Nibley Park School, for being selected to receive an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Utah;  

• Jaziayah Evans from Innovations Early College High School, who will be the student Board member for the 2023-24 school year; and  

• Laynee Hall from Highland High School, who is the reserve student Board member for 2023-24. 

SOUTH PARK ACADEMY NAME CHANGE 

The principal of South Park Academy came to the Board requesting a name change for the school. South Park Academy is a school housed in the Utah State Correctional Facility. It moved from Draper to Salt Lake City with the move of the prison. The principal reported he followed district policy and surveyed students and school staff as part of the name change process, and he said the students were very excited to be included in the process. The proposed new name that received the most votes in the survey was Sky View Academy, with the mascot being an eagle, and the school colors being purple and silver. The Board will vote on the proposed name change in a future meeting.  

INCLUSIVE RESOLUTION UPDATE 

The district’s Director of Special Education gave Board members an annual update on the Board-adopted Inclusive Schools Resolution. The update included a review of inclusion efforts, programs, and services at all school levels (pre-K, elementary, middle, and high schools). She said the training and programs to increase inclusion are not only for students but are targeted at school leaders and other adults in the schools as well.   

ESSER UPDATE 

The district’s Business Administrator reported to the Board on the use of current Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds. These temporary funds were made available to schools across the nation to help with challenges in student learning associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The Business Administrator told Board members all ESSER funds must be used by September 30, 2024, and he will continue to monitor the funds to make sure they are used as intended.  

2023-24 PROPOSED BUDGET AND 2022-23 REVISED BUDGET 

The Business Administrator also gave the Board a review of the district’s proposed budget for the 2023-24 school year and the revised 2022-23 budget. The review began with highlights in changes in funding and expenditures for the coming school year, and then continued with an in-depth review of where the district gets its money and how it uses that money. In the 2023-24 proposed budget, more than 84% of the district’s General Fund, the money used to operate and maintain our schools, is spent on salaries and benefits for employees. Only 3.5% goes to district administration and central office staff while the rest is directed to our schools and students and those who work directly with them. The Board will hold a public hearing on the 2023-24 proposed budget and the 2022-23 revised budget during its meeting on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, and then the Board will vote on both budgets.