School District addresses new and old schools

by David Boyle
News Director
Members of the San Juan School Board approved advertising for bids to purchase the old Blanding Elementary building, approved spend plans, and reviewed academic achievement data at their April 7 meeting.
The approval to accept bids for the old building comes while the new Blanding Elementary School remains on schedule for an opening in August. 
District Business Administrator Jacob Swanson reported that contractors are completing punch list items on the interior, while landscaping and sod installation is also nearly finished.
The board also received updates on other capital projects, including building entrance safety upgrades.
The upgrade at Montezuma Creek Elementary School was reported as essentially wrapped up, with staff already moving in.
The project at San Juan High is also progressing with inside and outside framing complete. Metal work and window installation is reported as ongoing and concrete replacement has been added to the project address trip hazards.
The project is expected to wrap up within the next month or two.
Similar projects at Albert R Lyman Middle and Monticello High Schools are beginning pre-construction meetings. Groundbreaking is anticipated in the next few months. Work at the sites may possibly be staggered rather than finishing simultaneously.
The school board also approved spend plans and fee waivers for the upcoming year. Extracurricular activities at district schools have spend plans that define maximum costs that a program can charge a student.
They also guide the amount the district will spend on students whose families qualify for fee waivers for those programs. As part of discussions around this year’s fee waivers, members of the board asked for a formal system to track fee waiver expenses to monitor trends and ensure the district is financially healthy while providing adequate resources.
It was also noted that spend plans help families that do not qualify for fee waivers by preventing costs from unexpectedly rising mid-season.
Also approved at the meeting are criteria for approving a “spirit bus” for student fans. The board authorized the program to allow student fans to attend state championship games in major sports such as football, volleyball or basketball.
The board also spoke about authorizing spirit buses for teams with high post season rankings to allow schools to begin logistical preparations when a team’s success makes a championship appearance likely.
Members of the board also approved school trust land plans for district schools for the upcoming academic year.
School board members approved adoption of a new Elementary school math curriculum.
The adoption will begin the next academic school year, but has been studied by the district over year-long pilot programs. 
Presenting before the board, Assistant Superintendent Paul Murdock said the new curriculum Desmos Math is ranked the highest by a stakeholder adoption committee made up of parents, teachers and administrators.
While the recommendation was close between other options, Desmos math was preferred as a bridge between traditional instructional methods and hands-on project-based learning.
One Bluff Elementary teacher said that as a result of the pilot, first grade students were naturally applying mathematical terminology such as discussing the slope of a slide on the playground as part of recess.
In addition to pilot programs and the committee review, the process also included a virtual presentation to district teachers.
The five-year adoption will include physical workbooks and teacher manuals to ensure flexibility for both online and print-based instruction.
Board members also approved updates to policies related to employee use of cell phones in schools.
The update includes an upgrade to an annual allowance for employees for cellular plans, clarification that cell phones used for district business are subject to GRAMA laws, and also updates scenarios involved district-owned cell phones.
The district also approved a right-of-way agreement with the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) to install fiber lines in Montezuma Creek, with the project expected to improve connectivity in the community.
School board members also approved a letter supporting the Utah Native American Health Amendments.
The letter, addressed to the federal Department of Health and Human Services, advocates for the approval of a Medicaid waiver that would allow reimbursement for traditional healing services provided to Native American communities.
While three other states have already approved similar programs, the letter notes that the district “recognize(s) that the health and well-being of our students are inextricably linked to their success in the classroom.”
Members of the board approved the letter of support.
The district also approved travel for members of the district Native Youth Council, as well as Whitehorse High School Unity Club members, to attend the National Unity Conference in Oklahoma City in July.
District Heritage Language Director Brenda Whitehorse said the event provides leadership training focused on solving community issues, language preservation and college advocacy.
Whitehorse added the events helps students “find their voice to advocate for themselves and for their peers”. Members of the board also reviewed academic progress during administrative reports.
The district celebrated a growth trend among the district’s lowest-performing 25 percent of secondary students. High school graduation rates remain high with several schools exceeding 92 percent.
In elementary school education, the district has set a goal to decrease the achievement gap between Native American and non-Native American students by 10 percent.
Murdock said that while the gap often widens from first to third grade, mid-year data shows a positive growth in math proficiency across the district.
Superintendent Christine Fitzgerald highlighted a state-mandated Emergency Recovery Plan, which needs to be completed in each school by June 30.
Fitzgerald explained the district has long had emergency preparedness and incident response protocols, but these new plans focus on what happens after a crisis.
“These emergency recovery plans include academic recovery, health, well-being, and behavioral recovery,” Fitzgerald explained.
The plans are designed to support students and staff following incidents ranging from fires and pandemics to violent events, ensuring mental health services and business operations are restored quickly.