Board Report for January 7, 2025
The Board of Education met on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. You can watch the whole meeting on our YouTube channel, or click on each heading to jump straight to that report.
A representative from the Salt Lake County Clerk’s Office administered the Oath of Office to newly elected board members Charlotte Fife-Jepperson (Precinct 2) and Amanda Longwell (Precinct 7), as well as re-elected board members Bryce Williams (Precinct 1) and Mohamed Baayd (Precinct 5).
The Board of Education re-elected Nate Salazar (Precinct 4) as Board President. Bryan Jensen (Precinct 6) was elected as Board Vice President. Both will serve two-year terms.
The district has 46 active National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs), the most of any school district in Utah. We also have 23 NBCT candidates and 9 NBCT mentors. The board recognized seven teachers who are new NBCTs and five who renewed their certification this year.
New NBCTs
- Rebecca Richardson, East High School
- Aubrey Gamble, Highland High School
- Carrie Caldwell, Hillside Middle School
- Jeanett Hufford, Indian Hills Elementary
- Laleh Ghotbi, Mountain View Elementary
- Amanda Paszko, Uintah Elementary
- Jennifer Vasquez, Wasatch Elementary
NBCT Renewals
- Laura Nelson, East High School
- Anna Christiansen, Clayton Middle School
- John Arthur, Meadowlark Elementary
- Paula Bickerton, Mountain View Elementary
- Macy Cook, Uintah Elementary
Annual Comprehensive Financial Report
Each year our auditing firm, Squire and Company, reviews the district’s financial statements, federal program expenditures, and state program expenditures. Again, SLCSD received a “clean opinion,” meaning no corrective actions are needed. Board members thanked Squire and Company and the Business Administration office for their hard work in maintaining the district’s financial health.
The district’s General Counsel provided board members the required training on Utah’s Open and Public Meetings Act and conflict of interest financial disclosures. These trainings are provided to board members every year.
Annual Board Statement of Ethics
The board reviewed and voted to reaffirm its Statement of Ethics. This statement outlines how board members should interact with and treat each other, district employees, students, and the community. The board reviews and reaffirms this statement annually.
Board members are assigned to serve on various committees, both inside and outside the district. Board members and district leaders reviewed current committee assignments as board leadership anticipates making new assignments for the coming year.
Options for Board Meeting Structure
The board currently meets twice a month, once for a business meeting and once for a study session. Board members and district leaders are considering changes to make meetings more effective, such as possibly holding two business meetings each month or moving study sessions to a different day or time.