Board Meeting Report - October 4, 2022

During its meeting on Tuesday night, the Salt Lake City Board of Education unanimously voted to appoint Dr. Martin W. Bates as interim superintendent of the Salt Lake City School District. He will serve in this role while the Board of Education works to identify and hire a new superintendent. 

You can read more about Dr. Bates on our website.

School Fees

After holding its second public hearing, the Board approved changes to school fees. The fee changes include increasing travel fees to ensure all students have their own beds when participating on overnight trips. Other small fee changes were made. They can be found by reviewing the fee schedule on the district website.

Reports

• The Board heard a report on the district’s Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), a program focused on addressing and improving student behavior and increasing students’ long-term success. This year, the district hired four behavior support specialists, making a total of 8, and one safe school specialist. The specialists coach schools on how to implement effective MTSS strategies.
• The second report was a review of the district’s sustainability plan. The review included updates on projects such as LED lighting upgrades in our schools, solar panel installations at several schools, and the construction of a new district office building. By June 2023, the changes and improvements across the district will result in a 24% reduction in carbon emissions. That’s the same as removing 2,000 cars from Utah’s roads.
• The third report focused on changes being made to the School Improvement Plans that are created each year by our schools. The changes are being made to address issues that arose during a recent Title I audit.

Discussions

• The Board reviewed a proposal to raise the pay for Utah High School Activities Association coaches and leaders. A market comparison showed the district’s current pay for these positions is generally below market levels. The proposal outlined possible ways to increase those salaries and how to pay for the increases. The Board of Education will continue to review this proposal and place it on the agenda for a future meeting.
• School safety was the topic for the next discussion. During the past few months, the district has been able to use state funding to implement several school safety projects, including fencing around Horizonte Instruction and Training Center, additional cameras in schools, security room upgrades, and vaping sensors. Other possible future school safety projects the district is exploring include:
  • weapons detectors,
  • classroom fobs and upgraded classroom locks, and 
  • window tinting for elementary and middle schools.