District Newsletter - October 6, 2022

Dear Salt Lake City School District families and community,

We would like to welcome Dr. Martin W. Bates, who was appointed this week 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. 

After more than thirty years in education, Dr. Martin W. Bates retired in 2021. Initially a special education and math teacher, he later served in various school and district administrative positions, his last 11 years as superintendent of the Granite School District. Following the departure of Superintendent Gadson, Dr. Bates agreed to come out of retirement and serve as interim superintendent of the Salt Lake City School District while the Board of Education works to identify and hire a new superintendent. 

Dr. Bates is a proud Highland High School Ram (he can still sing the school song in its entirety). He and his wife, Donna, are the parents of eight children, all of them graduates of the Salt Lake City School District. 

Board Report

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. 

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.

Feasibility Study Meetings

Work is moving forward for the feasibility studies currently being conducted for Highland High School and West High School. The feasibility studies are being conducted by architects who will provide expert opinions on the needs of the school buildings and community, give the district a look at cost estimates, make sure we meet student needs, and consider priorities like energy efficiency.

The next public meeting for West High will be held Wednesday, November 9, and the next meeting for Highland High will be held on Thursday, November 10. Both meetings will start at 6 p.m. and be held in the respective school libraries. Spanish translation will be available at the meetings. We can provide translation into other languages by request. Please call (801) 578-8378 to request translation into a language other than Spanish.

For those who cannot attend the meetings, they will be live-streamed on our YouTube channel in English and Spanish. You can also provide feedback here for Highland High School and here for West High School.

School Resource Officer/Salt Lake City School District Community Report 

Salt Lake City School District, together with Salt Lake City Corporation, has completed the 2021-2022 Oversight Committee Report for school-based citations related to our School Resource Officer Program. School Resource Officers are Salt Lake City Police Department officers who are assigned to help support our schools. This annual report is provided in accordance with the memorandum of understanding between the district and the Salt Lake City Police Department. The Oversight Committee reviews school-based arrests and officer interventions to assess effectiveness, identify areas for improvement, and to make sure actions align with the goals and objectives of the memorandum of understanding.   

As a result of our combined efforts, school-based citations have decreased from 488 in the 2013-2014 school year to 23 in the 2021-2022 school year. We continue to emphasize positive contact between officers and students through ongoing training with school resource officers and school administrators. 

You can find and review the report on the district website.  

New COVID-19 Booster Shots

To help contain a possible fall and winter surge of COVID-19, the CDC and FDA have granted emergency use authorization for updated COVID-19 boosters targeting the newest omicron strain—the dominant strain across Salt Lake County and the U.S.

Who can get the updated, FREE COVID-19 boosters?

• People 18 years of age and older are eligible for a single dose of the updated Moderna booster IF it has been at least two months since they completed primary vaccination or have received the most recent booster dose with any booster.
• People 12 years of age and older are eligible for a single dose of the updated Pfizer-BioNTech booster IF it has been at least two months since they completed primary vaccination or have received the most recent booster dose with any booster.

Appointments to get the updated COVID-19 booster at Salt Lake County Health Department clinics, at no cost, are now available. To make an appointment, visit SaltLakeHealth.org or call 385-468-7468.  An updated COVID-19 booster may also be available through your local pharmacy or healthcare provider.

A listing of COVID-19 vaccine clinics in Salt Lake County can be found on the Salt Lake County Health Department website.