Possible District Division?       A law passed by the 2006 Utah Legislature and modified in 2007 provides a way for cities to form their own school districts. While there may well still be more questions than answers about a potential division of Jordan District, the following is an attempt to provide the most current information available: What is the status of dividing Jordan District?       Five cities in Jordan District have commissioned a study on forming their own district. Those cities are Alta, Cottonwood Heights, Draper, Midvale and Sandy (including parts of Salt Lake County within those cities). West Jordan City has also discussed initiating a study. What would be the timeline for a split?       The five-city study is scheduled to be released in May. As outlined by the law, a division timeline could look like this: • Aug. 31, 2007: Cities decide whether to put the issue on the ballot. • Nov. 6, 2007: Voters in the proposed new district cast ballots. • December 2007: If the vote passes, transition teams are formed and district assets are inventoried. • January 2008: Board of education precincts are set for both districts. • June 2008: Board of education elections are held for both districts. • July 1, 2008: Transition teams determine the allocation of assets between the new and remaining districts. • July 15, 2008: Board of education members take office. • August 2008-July 2009: The Board of Education of the new district appoints a superintendent, hires staff, establishes departments and creates infrastructure. • July 1, 2009: The districts begin separate operations. Will all citizens impacted get to vote?       The law states that only those living in areas to be served by the newly created district are allowed to vote. What would be the financial impact of an east/west division?       A tax-burden analysis by the five-city coalition showed that growth would require those living in the remaining district (west of the Jordan River) to pay more than twice as much in debt-service property taxes than those living in the new district. The east side contains about 56 percent of the assessed valuation and 40 percent of the students, while the west side has 44 perent of the tax base and 90 percent of the growth. What happens to employees in a split?       The law indicates that individuals employed at schools transferred to a new district become employees of the new district and that “the school board of the new district shall have discretion in the hiring of all other staff.” The law is silent as to what happens to non-school employees at the remaining district, including central staff and staff assigned to multiple schools. What happens to buildings and other assets?       The law requires transition teams to allocate all assets “in a way that is fair and equitable to both the existing district and the new district…” Who pays all the costs associated with dividing the District?       Ultimately, all costs are paid from educational funds of school districts. The State Legislature could also elect to appropriate additional funds.

• Legislative Funding Update
        The Utah State Office of Education released a review of the 2007 Legislature funding for public education for fiscal year 2008. The funding includes:
• $88 million increase in the WPU
• $68.7 million for teacher pay increases
• $50 million for computers in schools
• $33 million for teacher bonuses
• $10 million for online testing infrastructure
• $9.5 million for charter schools
• $7.5 million for optional extended-day kindergarten
• $7 million for school classified employee bonuses
• $2.5 million for the K-3 reading program
•      In terms of Uniform School Fund spending, the increase amounts to a 7.5 percent increase for Utah public schools. It will be several more weeks before Jordan District fully understands how these numbers impact specific programs and individual salaries.

Middle-Level Award
      The middle school leadership team at West Jordan Middle received the 2007 Utah Middle School Team of the Year Award at the Utah Middle Level Association Conference March 10. The award was in recognition of the school’s “promotion of the essential elements of middle level education philosophy.” Team members include Carolyn Cartmell, Lauren Flygare, Amy Geilman, Janet Howe, Lisa Morey and Katie Palfreyman and Principal Joanne Mattes.

Custodian of the Month
      Scott Christensen, head custodian at South Jordan Elementary, was named Custodian of the Month by the Custodial Services Department. He has been with the District since 1988.

Outstanding Drivers
      The Transportation Department presented Outstanding Bus Driver Awards to Marsha Legg and Dan Hansen for special education buses and to Marty Latimer and Marci Taylor for regular buses. Each winner received a dinner gift certificate, a plaque and a bus logo jacket.

Donating Smiles
      Fifth-grade teachers and student council advisers Jayne Jensen and Alan La fleur worked with student council members at Copper Canyon Elementary (West Jordan) to raise money for Operation Smile, an international organization that helps aide in the repair of childhood facial deformities. So far, the school has raised more than $3,800, enough to provide surgery for a least 16 children. One first-grade student wrote letters to family and friends and by herself raised nearly half the total.

Soup for Schools
      Thanks to the hard work of parents at Daybreak Elementary (South Jordan) collecting soup labels, along with a little luck, the school’s computer lab is now equipped with 45 new iMac computers, each teacher in the school received needed supplies and the school owns two brand new seven-passenger minivans. The Campbell’s Soup “Labels for Education” program awards free educational equipment to schools in exchange for proofs of purchase from Campbell’s brands. In addition, nine parents in the Daybreak community won the equivalent of a million labels each in a Wal-Mart and Campbell’s sponsored contest. Since the school is unable to use the minivans for student transportation, they will be auctioned this week by Jordan School District at www.publicsurplus.com(Auction numbers 178497 and 178501). The auction will close April 17 at 6 p.m. All proceeds from the sales will go to Daybreak Elementary School.

Surfing Fundraiser for Books
      The Butler Elementary (Cottonwood Heights) student council, working with the PTA and Scholastic Books, earned more than $450 for books to donate to YWCA’s Women in Jeopardy program. Students hung a surfboard on each classroom door advertising the fundraiser to go with the book fair theme Book Fair Beach. Student council representatives helped select the books to be purchased.

Author’s Night
      March 22 was author’s night at Willow Springs Elementary (Draper). Each student wrote a book to share with family and friends. Authors Brad Wilcox and Eric Slagerup were there to sign their books Hip, Hip, Hooray for Annie McRae and Monsterlicious, respectively.

Dining Event Supports African Orphans
      The student council at Jordan Ridge Elementary (South Jordan) raised $2,500 for Green Eyes in Africa, an organization providing services to orphans in Cameroon, Africa. In addition to cash donations, local store and restaurant owners donated food which was available for community members to purchase during a fundraising event March 20.

40th Anniversary Celebration
     Bell View Elementary (Sandy) will celebrate its 40th anniversary April 11, 10:30 a.m., in the school's multipurpose room. Students will present a program looking back at the music, people, places and events of the 1960s, the Bell View's beginning. On April 17, 5:30-8 p.m., there will be an open house at the school with displays of memorabilia, as well as student projects that have been completed this year to commemorate Bell View's birthday. Past and present principals, teachers, support staff, patrons and students are invited to both events.

Family Literacy Day
      Students at Daybreak Elementary (South Jordan) enjoyed a Super Family Literacy Day with the theme “Reading is Magical.” More than 800 students and parents watched a magician, puppet show, celebrity readers and the Grizzly mascot.

National Board Certification
      Scholarship applications for National Board Certification are available. The applications are due to Pam Su’a at the District Office by April 5. A mandatory meeting for all National Board candidates who receive District scholarships will be held June 8, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., at the District Office in PDC Room D.

Master’s Program Meeting
      The Special Education Distance Master’s Program at Utah State University is holding an informational meeting March 29, 4 p.m., at the USU Salt Lake City location, 5250 S. Commerce Drive, #300, Room 4, Murray. David Forbush will be available to answer questions about the program. For additional information, visit http://sped.usu.edu/masters.

Occupational Therapy Month
      Occupational therapists work in many schools in the District and provide services to improve handwriting, visual perceptual skills and to promote independence in everyday life at school. Jordan was the first district in Utah to recognize the value of occupational therapy services and hired the first therapist in 1975. There are now 15 occupational therapists in Jordan District. Tips from occupational therapists to improve handwriting and ergonomic safety for students and staff are available at www.jordandistrict.org/general/occupationaltherapy.htm. For more information, contact the occupational therapist at your school or call Eunice Chen, (801) 412-2510.

Back to Top

Five-Star Award Nominations Sought
      The nomination deadline for the 2007-08 Jordan Board of Education Five-Star Awards is May 25. Anyone can nominate an employee in one of six categories: elementary, middle and high school teachers; certificated employees at-large; classified employees; or administrators. In addition, two schools will be honored for public relations efforts. The purpose of the annual program is to honor outstanding employees for the exceptional contributions they make to the District, their schools or their departments.
Awardees receive $2,500, are recognized during a Board of Education meeting in October and are honored at a recognition banquet. To be eligible, individuals must be full-time employees and have a minimum of five years experience in Jordan District. Additional criteria and nomination forms are available on the District Web site at www.jordandistrict.org/award. For more information, contact the Office of Communications, (801) 567-8290.

Teacher Feature
      Gary Hanson, sixth-grade teacher at Sprucewood Elementary (Sandy), was recognized with a KSL Teacher Feature award. He has been with the District since 1983.

• National Champions
• The Jordan High (Sandy) drill team was awarded the Overall National Champion trophy at a national competition in New York. The team also earned multiple first place trophies and an excellence award for their performances. The team is under the direction of coaches Sarah Bates and Chandra Thompson and teacher adviser Emily Housley.
• The Bingham High (South Jordan) Minerettes placed first in region, first in state and first at the national drill team competition in Orlando March 4. The first-place dance in the Florida competition was the team’s military routine, scoring 297.9 out of 300 points.

Project Supports African Women/Children
      Students at Willow Springs Elementary (Draper) plan to each make a doll to be distributed to children in Africa—670 dolls in all. The students are also collecting donations of $10 per “chick” to assist African women with AIDS in beginning a sustainable poultry project. Principal Sharyle Karren will travel to Africa with the charitable organization Africa Is Life Changing, Inc., in May to hand carry the dolls and funds to the women and children there.

Donations Bring Smiles
      The student council at Terra Linda Elementary (West Jordan) raised more than $1,200 for Operation Smile. Operation Smile’s volunteers travel around the world to treat children suffering from facial deformities.

National Board Certification/Master’s Degree
      National University is offering a Master of Arts in Teaching with a specialization in National Board Certification/Teacher Leadership. An information meeting will be held March 21, 4 p.m., in Board Room B at the District Office. Teachers of special education, math, science or technology may qualify for financial aid for the master’s program through USOE. Teachers who are interested in National Board Certification may attend to get information and apply for program fee scholarships. For more information, contact Pam Su'a, Curriculum Department, (801) 567-8320.

Back To Top

Huntsman Award Deadline Friday
      Nominations for the 2007 Huntsman Awards for Excellence in Education are due March 16 at 5 p.m. Each year, the family of industrialist and philanthropist Jon M. Huntsman awards $10,000 and a crystal obelisk to 10 Utah public educators: six teachers, three administrators and a volunteer. The winners will be announced and the awards presented at a banquet later this spring. Nomination forms are available from school principals or online at www.huntsman.com.

Administrator of the Year
      G. Norma Villar, principal at Oquirrh Hills Middle (Riverton), was recently honored as Administrator of the Year by the Utah Educational Library Media Association. The award was presented during the organization’s annual conference. Villar was recognized for her outstanding support of the school library media program.

Literary Magazine Award
      The National Scholastic Press Association announced that the Copper Hills High (West Jordan) literary magazine, Chasms, was selected as one of only nine finalists for the Pacemaker Award, which is equivalent to the Pulitzer Prize for student writing. The magazine, advised by teacher Lou Jessop, will be honored at an awards ceremony in Denver April 14, where the national winner will be announced.

Board President J. Dale Christensen (center) shakes hands with Kennecott Land President Peter McMahon at the future site of Eastlake Elementary in South Jordan. Kennecott Land is donating about eight acres for the school.

Land Donation to Build School
      Kennecott Land announced a donation of nearly eight acres to build a second elementary school in the Daybreak community of South Jordan. The new school, to be named Eastlake Elementary, will be built in Daybreak’s Eastlake Village (the second phase neighborhood of Daybreak) for an anticipated opening in July 2008. The contribution represents one of the largest ever to Jordan District. The Board will vote on the donation agreement during tonight’s Board of Education meeting.

Literacy Day
      Southland Elementary (Riverton) held its third annual “Super Literacy Friday” March 9. Students and parents attended three hands-on literacy classes together. More than 600 people attended the celebration of reading and writing.

Final REACH Training for 2006-07
      Respecting Ethnic and Cultural Heritage (REACH) training is a two-day workshop for teachers to help them understand diversity values. The course consists of activities, role-play, curriculum infusion materials and sharing of cultural perspectives. A follow-up day (about 10 weeks later) is offered for teachers who previously participated in the two-day training. The final REACH two-day training dates are March 28-29, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and the final REACH day three training date (follow-up for those who completed the two-day training 10 weeks prior) is March 22, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. All REACH trainings are held at the Auxiliary Services Building. Teachers interested in attending must get approval from their principal and register with Toni Soeffker, Alternative Language Services, (801) 567-8116. Substitutes are to be arranged by the teacher and paid by the District.

Back to Top

Donate Your Tax Refund
     Jordan Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, supports students, teachers and schools in Jordan School District. When filing your 2006 state tax returns, please consider contributing a portion of your refund to Jordan Education Foundation. It’s easy, and it means so much to Jordan teachers and schools. Page 2, line 22 of Utah form TC-40 allows taxpayers to designate as little as $1 as a contribution to the Foundation. To donate, fill in Line 22 with Code 05 (Nonprofit School District Foundation), enter a dollar amount and indicate Sch/Tech Code 14 (Jordan). One-hundred percent of donations are used for Foundation programs, such as mini-grants for teachers, low-income student medical assistance, at-risk student scholarships and outstanding educator awards. For more information, please visit the Foundation’s new Web site at www.jordaneducationfoundation.org, or call Sue Weaver, (801) 567-8125.

Employee of the Month
      Jay Lund, worker in the HVAC Shop, was named Maintenance Department Employee of the Month for March. He has been with the District since 2005.

Campaign Provides Clean Water
      Students and staff at Eastmont Middle (Sandy) raised $4,600 in their annual charitable fundraiser. The money will help build a water processing plant to provide sanitary water to more than 50,000 people in the rural Philippines. Margaret Jensen, a first-year teacher, planned and coordinated the event. As a way to encourage donations, many teachers provided motivational incentives. Amy Bateman, Margaret Jensen, Lisa Young, Jessica Gainer and Sherri Riley all spent a week in costumes. Teachers Bret Thomas, Stewart Hewlett, Dennis Lombardi, Mike Campos and custodian Thayne Gates donned tutus and danced for the students.

Super Literacy Saturday
     Draper Elementary hosted a Super Literacy Saturday on Feb. 24 titled “Hip, Hip, Hooray for Reading Today.” Author and BYU professor Brad Wilcox was the keynote speaker. Alta High (Sandy) cheerleaders led the group in cheers for reading, the school choir sang Read Me a Memory, and local authors and educators helped with 11 breakout sessions on various topics. The day ended for the approximately 900 participants with turquoise frosted cookies shaped like cowboy boots from Wilcox’s book, Hip, Hip, Hooray for Annie McRae. Keri Corfield, literacy facilitator, coordinated the event.

Dance to Support Trolley Square Victims
      The Bingham High Dance Company is dedicating its “Dance in Concert 2007” to the memory of Jeff Walker, a fatality at the Trolley Square shooting Feb. 12, and in support of the recovery of A.J. Walker, a Bingham High junior who was seriously injured. A.J. Walker’s sister is a member of the Company. Dance in Concert will be presented March 22, 23 and 26, 7 p.m., in the Bingham High Auditorium. As part of the concert, members have prepared two special dances dedicated to the Walker family. The dances are choreographed by members of Dance Company with the specific intent to portray the emotions and compassion that members feel toward the Walkers and express encouragement for their future.

Faculty Art Exhibit
      The public is invited to attend the Jordan School District faculty art exhibit March 19-April 2 at the Riverton Museum, Crane House, 1640 West 13200 S. The art exhibit can be viewed Mondays and Thursdays, noon-9 p.m., or Saturdays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. An opening reception is scheduled March 19, 6:30-8:30 p.m. For more information visit www.rivertonmuseum.com.

National Board Certification/Master’s Degree
      National University is offering a Master of Arts in Teaching with a specialization in National Board Certification/Teacher Leadership. An information meeting will be held March 21, 4 p.m., in Board Room B at the District Office (note: this is a time change from a previous announcement). At this meeting, information will be available on the master’s curriculum, application process, cost, National Board Certification and timeline for the program. This is a one-year program. Also, teachers who are interested in National Board Certification may attend this meeting to get information and apply for program fee scholarships. For more information, contact Pam Su'a, Curriculum Department, (801) 567-8320.

District Division Survey
      As part of the feasibility study of the possible east/west division of Jordan School District initiated by the communities of Sandy, Cottonwood Heights, Draper, Midvale, Alta and Salt Lake County, the Center for Management and Organization Effectiveness (CMOE) is conducting a survey of District employees. According to CMOE, the purpose of this survey is “to solicit district employees’ opinions of how they feel the proposed district split would affect them and their co-employees personally as well as impact the programs and services they provide to students.” Each employee with a District e-mail address has received a link to the online survey. Employees without e-mail addresses will receive the survey by District mail. Responses are due by March 17.

Back to Top

Employment Opportunities
      See current job openings posted by the Human Resources Department at www.jordandistrict.org/hr

ARCHIVED NEWS

To submit an item for Current, send an e-mail to Michael Kelley at michael.kelley@jordan.k12.ut.us or contact him at (801) 567-8337.