001Maybe >> that's true. cond. >> Oh, sorry. Oh, sorry. It's 41. I I'm sorry. I was reading a 130 page OAG report just like everyone should. Okay, it's 4 o'clock. Hi, everybody. Welcome to study session. Uh, superintendent. Hey, you know, thank you, uh, President King and we're excited to be here to today we have our world language gurus, Rachel McFarland, Jodie Lindsay, and they are going to share some amazing things happening in Alpine School District with language. >> Thank you. Thanks for having us here. Um, as Rob just said, I'm Jodie Lindsay. I This is my 32nd year in education and I'm the world language specialist. This is uh my colleague Rachel McFarland and she is 33 years into education and she co-leads the district with me and she teaches French at AF High School.
002So we are so happy to be here. We represent nine languages. We represent 15 almost 16,000 students. We also work with 116 teachers. Of those 116, 93 of them teach five, six or seven sections of world language. and we oversee 16 blended teams. And so if you ever are interested in what really great collaboration looks like that it goes beyond the school walls, you need to come and see what we do in world language and how we have created a district viable guaranteed curriculum. So with that um we start all of our trainings with our world language mission statement. We created this in 2019 over a series of uh several months and we believe we exist to develop global citizens by building language proficiency and cultural understanding. And I really hope that you will see
003this mission statement woven through the work that I will be showing you that we do as teachers to prepare our students. So, um I wanted to start off by just doing some fast teacher celebrations. the people that are creating the learning experiences for our Alpine School District students. Um, first, we have done a lot of professional learning and our teachers have shown up. We ran a new uh teacher cohort for any new hires one, two, and three, years one, two, and three. We've had great turnout to that. Uh Rachel McFarland here has run world language cohorts after school for us. We have um we ran last year our first world languages methods course which we um ran it through SU as a four credit heavily coached course and had a marvelous learning experience. Um we
004have been so blessed in Alpine to receive a lot of resource for professional learning. And so last fall we challenged uh teachers and people on our leadership team. It it's time to pay it forward. And so nine of us we put in to present at the Utah Foreign Language Association conference and all of us got picked up. And in fact Jenna Flood at Oak Canyon who teaches French and she's also a part-time instructional coach. She got voted as best of Utah and she will be representing the state of Utah at the regional conference in February. And at this same conference, I or prior to the conference, I had been thinking for myself, what what can I do? And so I threw my hat in for um leadership in Utah foreign language uh association and was
005elected uh for a three-year president uh stint. So, I'm president-elect and I'm hoping that this is a way that I can help build teachers and students outside of Alpine School District in addition to continuing building here. Um Jenna Flood again, she was picked up by a national uh organization that focuses on teacher improvements and effective teaching practices and she led a summer institute for three days with dozens of teachers throughout the United States and international students joined her in that. Um Marissa Bellini from AF High School, she was voted as the American Teachers of Japanese president. So she continues to be leading out in our nation. And then we had so many other teachers who were awarded awards like Gonzalo out at Westlake who was awarded the 2025 Latinos in action teacher of the year.
006Marcus Draper was awarded show up for teachers for his incredible work at Tempanogas High School. And of course we cannot forget Erin Anderson at Skyidge who was um awarded the teacher of the year. I could have added probably 15 to 20 more slides of teachers who had um school awards, community, university awards, but these are the people behind the student the evidence of student learning that you are going to see today. So, world language teachers, we love our world. We love culture. We love our world's family. We love food, travel, and I have found over the years that it is really easy to get a passport and to um travel past the borders of the United States on a journey and then to come back. When our students enroll in a second language, they are
007not just obtaining a passport. They are earning a passport that opens borders and it opens minds. And in our classes they are learning reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills that really become the stamps in the passports for learning. And it documents where they're at. And these stamps also show where they're going on their journey. And for some of our students, this journey is going to be in to college. And uh research shows that students who have been enrolled in high quality language programs perform higher in English, math, and science than those who don't. Some of our students will go into the workforce and they will be hired by um business owners and managers who value multilingualism, but all of our students, they will have that uh human connection. And that is what we do in
008world language classes. So today we are going to be opening the passports for the students in Alpine School District and we are going to be looking at the stamps for reading, writing, speaking and listening. So where I'm going with our learning today, the first thing I would like to do is highlight how job embedded content specific professional learning and coaching have translated into stamp, which is another test uh and Apple results that show measurable literacy gains for our world language students in 2025. And then I'll briefly touch on how we are intentionally building leadership as we move toward the split in 2027. And then last, I'm going to share with you some of our current barriers in our world language programs, and I'm going to invite you to collaborate with us on solutions. So, that's
009where we're going. First thing, we have our ASL stamp data. We have uh prior to 2024, we were using a different test that was a little more expensive, so only our level four students had access to this test. Last year was the first year we used STAMP. And so as we look at the data today, let me just this will be the same for all languages. Red will indicate they're two or more levels below target. Yellow means they're one suble below the target. Green means this is our target proficiency level. And blue means they are above that level. And I want to also keep in mind with everybody that we test our students in February and March and we still have months of learning that happen after that in seat time matters in world languages.
010Why do we test that early? It's to get all the data for by literacy because a lot of the components of the testing that we do is human graded and it takes a little bit longer for the turnaround. So, the ASL students, I'm in uh this is the receptive mode where they watch somebody sign and then they answer questions about what they um saw. And so, in 2024, these were our results. And in 2025, these are our results. And you can see here that there's maybe a tiny bit of growth. It's about the same. Our ASL teachers, they identified here's what we're doing that's working and here's what our next steps are in our team. So they have already used summer collaboration to start building um more learning activities that connect to improvements in the
011receptive mode. There's also the expressive mode. This is where the students are given a scenario and they sign and then this is human graded. And you can see here where we landed in 2024, the first year we used this test, level three and level four. And here's where we ended in 2025. This was their focus last year. And so the the team leads and the teams were very pleased with the growth. What does this look like for composite scores? You can see that in ASL we are building the um overall ASL experience. And what does this look like um from year to year for syllabi literacy? If you look here in 2023, we had 39 ASL students who earned the Utah Sila by literacy. In 2024, last year we were at 63 and then last
012year we were at 145. So just hats off to our ASL students and their teachers and their team leads as they are intentionally using this data to drive their next steps. Are there any questions with ASL before we move forward? So 2026 that's going to be about 290 300. >> I will see. >> I'm just following a pattern. >> Well, now I'm a little nervous. >> It's awesome. >> Okay, next. Moving forward. Okay, Apple data. Um, this data that I'll be showing you today is all languages, Chinese, Japanese, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese. This is levels three, levels four, and AP. And this is junior highs and high schools. So we have some junior highs that teach level three. And um anyway, I'm excited to show you what we've done here. We'll also be following the
013same below level, approaching, and at level. Okay, first this is the way that I've chosen to show data this year. You can see here that we have our years 22, 23, 24, and then I'll show this in a second. And then I thought it would be interesting to also show how many tests were administered. And um this can be for several reasons. Um there can be an uptick in enrollment and there also um can um be just more teachers bought in to giving the test. Right? So I'm always watching trends. Are we moving students? What are we trending here? And especially are we moving students to the next higher level. So speaking this is the mode that is the last and hardest to develop. When you think about it in English, it's the same for
014us. We typically can understand more than we can produce in our language. So, our speaking data in 2025, this looks like we've made significant gains, but keep in mind, we tested more students. So, when we look at our data from 2024 to 2025, we definitely are moving students up. You can see here that there's some improvement here. And it also shows us that this is an area that we have chosen to work on in professional learning which is again the student output what students can um create with language. So that is um an a mode that we are going to be focused on a little bit more in world languages. Okay. Next, listening data. And this is of course the teachers learning how to teach effectively in the target language so that students can access
015it at whatever level they are learning at. So we can see here that um we have um our trends where they're going here and then when we look at our listening data for 2025, you can see that our students have made some uh some solid growth in this area. um this isn't by chance. We've used this data to determine these are some areas that we focus on in world languages in our professional learning. So this is uh this does not surprise us because this is where we have put our efforts. Next writing this is an area that we identified we needed help in really early when we started testing. We believe we are teachers of literacy. And it's one thing to string along sentences. You know, my my dad is sporty, my dad has brown
016hair, my dad is athletic. It's another to teach academic writing with a topic sentence and your supporting sentences and a conclusion. And we teach this in our world language classes. And so, and we have invested in bringing in uh people to help us calibrate student writing samples. And so when we look at our 2025 uh data, we are still growing our students in this area. We're teaching them how to communicate in writing more effectively than we did one and two years ago. Our last mode of communication is reading. And this is um we're excited to show you our data. As I mentioned early in my career, 32 years ago, 33 for Rachel, I was told clear back then, every teacher is a teacher of literacy. And I kind of believed it, but we have evidence
017now that showed that we are teachers of literacy. And keep in mind what this looks like for your multilingual students. When we are building literacy skills in their first language, research shows the second language just follows it, which would be English for them. And so the work that we do matters. Are there any questions um on this first piece with our data? >> That's fantastic. >> That's very encouraging to see. >> Thank you very much. >> Very much a team effort, huh? >> Yes. I mean, I've had kids who have seal of bi literacy. I know how much work goes into that and seeing those numbers is just amazing. >> It's really Thank you. Thank you for that comment. Um the syllifi literacy has ended up to be this really awesome award. We really have
018used the Apple data to to change our tier one instruction to make those little shifts. So, a huge thank you to Ed Services for investing um into world languages. that has made a huge difference for us. >> And it's showing. >> Yeah, it does. >> That's fabulous. >> Great. >> Okay. >> Um uh at the end of last school year, I sent this out to our uh to you, the school board, and to the district leadership team. A little bit about the uh syllifi literacy. We had almost 900 students uh who earned the seal. We're really proud of them. But I um wanted to show you I talked at the very beginning how job embedded content specific professional learning is shaping our apple and uh stamp scores which is the evidence of student learning. Will
019you just kind of cast your eyes here? This is our syllabi literacy data and kind of start looking at maybe the years where we're starting to see the growth because I want to show you the next slide. Early in my career, the only access to professional learning I had was the Utah Foreign Language Association conference once a year. It was about six hours. It was definitely content specific, not job embedded and it was isolated. It was around that was there we go. It was around 20 oh 2009 2010 I believe that Alpine started giving us every other November or October where we would have a content specific day and then the next year it would go back to the schools again we had content specific PD professional learning but not job embedded it wasn't until
020around 2017 and 18 Alpine jumped that to about 16 hours a year our teachers had the Utah foreign lang language association. But it was around here in 2020 uh where we ended up having resource to really create job embedded professional learning opportunities. And the data that you just saw we believe ties directly back to having these resources and opportunities for our team. Where are we going in 2025? This kind of shows where our focus has been as world language team. we are uh working on high lever teaching practices um so because of the data that we have from Apple so we are very intentional we um in world language teachers we've kind of outlined how many hours of professional learning we have between now and 2027 just last week we had 71 teachers that left
021their classrooms we used the world language budget to pay for their subs and we spent um a full day with the brilliant Katherine Tyler from Pleasant Grove High School learning about teacher input so that meaning how to teach in the target language so that students our next step will be that student output which you just saw our apple data that's where we want to go with this so we have teachers who are willing to continue learning and that is part of our goal as world language as a world language team is to continue to learn and grow and grow our students. What did our teachers say about this day? Not all of them have filled out the survey yet, but last uh they said, "How well did today's uh learning advance your capacity to meet
022the needs of your students?" You can see that it was far more positive than the one negative. And then the one that I really um I love to ask this question, how likely are you to implement today's learning into your instructional practice? And you can see definitely and most likely. What's really great is we'll next month have our world language cohort where we will follow up. So what have you implemented from September 16th? What's working? Where do we still need support? Where can we answer questions? And that is how we roll in world languages. Very intentional um um very well thought out. So that is how we are highlighting uh how we are you um how we are using job embedded content specific professional learning to grow our students. So next unless there are any
023questions I would like to briefly talk about how we're intentionally building >> Yes. >> So when you say job embedded you mean district embedded. Is that right? >> Yes. >> Not necessarily classroom embedded. >> We're Yes. what we're looking for touch points to professionally learn and grow together and so that's what we try to offer in world language is every two to three months we're having an opportunity to learn grow we take the teacher feedback and create the next steps >> so would you say that it's self that you have created the the curriculum >> uh we yes we well what we've done is we have used teacher feedback and then we use professional resources from um our national organization. Um we're we're learning for the next two years from this book called um enacting
024the world of language acquisition, high leverage teaching practices. It's the methods book that BYU uses in several other universities. >> So you pulled from from other sources but you have >> we create it correct and and that's the Katherine that the from Pleasant Grove is brilliant and you stipen her for her work to guide this part of the learning. It's awesome. Okay. Okay. How are we intentionally preparing schools and clusters for three new districts? Um, after the vote in November, Rachel and I sat down together and we said, "Well, let's make our short-term goals," which is like our 12-month goals or 15-month goals, and then long-term is our threeyear goals going into this the new districts. And in my mind, I coined this idea. We are still headed toward the same destination. we're just going
025to be on some different paths, but the destination should be the same. It's proficiency centered learning for our students. And so these are the goals. These are the things that we are focusing on. These hang uh uh in my in my little cubicle uh over in the other building. So, some things that we're doing. First, Rachel and I have been running a new teacher cohort. And what we've done is we've invited a teacher from each of the new three school districts to join us. They co-create the content for the new teacher learning experiences and then they facilitate it. So we still are we're we're coaching, we're working together, but we're spreading this leadership wealth. Second, we expanded our leadership team to three teachers from every language in all the three new districts. We meet four
026times a year and we focus on effective world language programs and teachers and these are the four things that we work on as well as building leadership in our PLC's because we have a deep deep belief that PLC's drive good teaching practices and student achievement. We also have site leaders from each school that we meet with three to four times a year. We also focus on this. So, how are we building teachers for the new districts? We are building about 40 new teach 40 plus new teachers in nine different languages. We're building leadership through our cohort work. We have about 70% of teachers who are consistently coming. So, we're building their knowledge and skills. Um, we are uh we were approved to attend our national organization uh our national organizations conference this November in New
027Orleans. And so Rachel and I, we asked Ed services, will you let us take two teachers who have never attended actful and can they attend with us? We will go with purpose. We will meet ahead of time. We'll we'll have something that we look to learn and then so that we can come back and we can help shape the work that we're doing in Alpine. We're also building leadership in our PLC's. Um we believe that every teacher is a teacher leader and so we are asking our teachers to can our teacher leaders to build others in our PLC's. So those are some ways that we are preparing for 2027. Are there any comments or questions? Okay. Last we have always barriers. It's world languages right and these are some barriers that affect our world language
028students and programs. first fewer um junior high elected choices. Um I believe the last time I looked CC CCA is a one credit requirement beyond the state's.5 and then we had health that was moved from 7th to 8th grade. So what this created for our students in 8th grade is um is quite problematic. They can't take a full year of band anything performing arts and a full year of world languages. And we have seen how we grow our students as teachers of literacy and this has become problematic. We do have a suggested solution we would love for you to wrestle with. We would love to move back to second grade and to consider and to consider changing college career from a one to a.5 requirement in outcome school district. Our second challenge um moving learning
029days back to the sites. We I showed you all the professional learning touch points we had and we um and now what we're doing is we're asking our teachers to leave their classrooms. We have incredible subs in our district and um but and I should say they might not be the immersive high impact instructors that our teachers are. So sometimes it's a little bit hard for our teachers to justify leaving their classroom for a day when they might have had to go for school conferences, uh, take sick days when their kids are sick and so forth. So that has been a challenge for us. A suggested solution is to reconsider May 20, 2026 as a final district-wide content specific day. And last, not all students have access to world language coach uh classes. We have
030shown that we are growing kids. We are teachers of literacy. And we believe that all students should have this ability to learn how to connect in in this world that we're so interconnected and uh youth tell us they're isolated. And so we would love to have the opportunity to build their first language skills through second language acquisition. So our solution and for those that are sitting behind those in the audience, we believe that we should have world languages as a requirement in all districts. There is significant research which I will be emailing you a one pager with links um that show that world languages equals higher academic achievement and um our our our world language students achieve higher in all the other content areas when they are in highly effective and impactful world language programs.
031So, um, those are our, uh, challenges and those are some solutions that we think that would be really great to consider. Are there any questions that that you have? >> So, Jody, when you talk about making world languages a requirement in all three districts, can you give an example of how many credits you would recommend that that that be? >> Oh, I would love that. We Sometimes people think just like level one and level two. I would love to see it go to level three because that's really where record meets the road. That's where high communication happens, deeper learning. Rachel, would you disagree or what? >> I would agree, but I would agree also because of the level of proficiency that you um arrive at. So, in levels one and two, you're in the novice
032range, which is difficult to really um I mean, it's awesome that they're growing, but by level three, you're in intermediate low, which allows you to have much more proficient and real conversations and discussions. So what would your recommendation be as far as like when students begin like for example you know it may be common for a student right who's in a DLI program they obviously start significantly earlier as far as their exposure to a second language so is it something where we're saying hey we would recommend that 8th 9th 10th that they're taking your credit of a language or um if we're hoping for that right third year um accessibility is it like a seventh eighth nth like how do you imagine that working in a student schedule like you could design it like best
033case scenario. >> Yeah. >> I mean every So we have schools that offer a um world language um intro course in the seventh grade. We have schools that don't. Um and so that is something that a district should decide is whether they want to go that route or not. Um but certainly a student um can begin an a language um journey in eighth grade, nth grade, 10th grade. Um because what we'll do is keep them. So we don't let them go. um they will stick with us um uh through that entire journey. I I teach um um at the high school here in American 4 and all of my seniors are in AP French um and they started as an eighth grader and that is now moving up to the advanced low level of proficiency
034which is nearing the proficiency that we all have in English. Right? So when we look at the proficiency pyramid, even our English proficiency is often not higher than advanced, even though there are two higher distinctions of proficiency above that. And so that's a pretty incredible journey. So the younger they can start the better. Um but they that starting point should be anywhere. They could access it in seven, uh 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th grade. They can start in French one and 12th grade. So, is your preference that that that be a sightbased decision or one that's district driven as far as we're going to make sure that every junior high, middle school has access to at least, you know, one world language or two world languages? Are you imagining that being a sitebased decision or more
035district driven? >> Oh, that's a hard one. That can be um there's advantages and disadvantages to both. Um I think that as long as students have access by 9th grade to level three because then we can them even further into high school. We're finding especially in the schools that have DLI bridge, we have students that start in like seventh grade Spanish and then when they pass the AP test their 10th or 11th grade year, they have a next step um which is bridge. So, it seems to me like um I think as long as there's accessibility for the students, that would be the most important. What would you >> I would also suggest that we look carefully at where what we're feeding. We'll commonly have a junior high with a certain language that is not
036taught at the high school or a language at the high school that's not taught at the junior high. And I wouldn't recommend cancelling any of them. I would just recommend um making sure that they both um lead to something. So I would never take out a Spanish program because it wasn't taught at the high school. I would just try and find a way to make sure that it is taught in the high school as well because it's the progression of language that really matters. >> So, how many schools don't have that intro world languages right now? >> Um, quite a few junior highs don't. Um, I know the junior highs that do. There's probably six, probably six junior highs who do the intro. Some of our middle schools, um, middle schools typically in Alpine will
037have a seventh grade exploration class and then the first opportunity they have to get in a a year class is in eighth grade. The schools in Alpine that have junior high behind their name, they typically have a full year seventh grade option. And then is there a scenario where you see other languages coming in or focus on what we have? And I guess my other question is sometimes you have challenges getting people who can even teach it. So do you have suggestions for being able to homework teachers in that? Um I I have it's my experience that when we offer um these programs that have um they're full-time programs or close to full-time and we get outstanding candidates and those outstanding candidates will create like Rachel at American Port High School this legacy of language
038learning and when we're like when we say well we only have room for two sections um that's where we often times and see um a hiring of maybe somebody all the all the teachers that were maybe the fivestar would have maybe run for full-time jobs and we've picked up some amazing uh hourly teachers. Let me just say that for all the record. But um but that does play a difference uh in our world. It's the quality when we can offer them uh when we offer these programs, we typically get high quality uh teachers who apply for that. So is that fulltime and one score like I know Jun was at Timberland too, right? So can it be split between two or you're saying fulltime and one school? >> I think that sometimes it starts with
039maybe splitting and then the option to really grow because sometimes it's the schools that have to make the decisions. Well, even though you've got 120 students, we need to pack them into three classes because we don't want to offer both sections because it messes up FTE. >> Last question. How many of our students make it to level three right now? >> Oh, I don't know that I've ever tracked that attrition uh rate, but >> it is not an abnormal thing. I'll say it that way. So, I work the number falls. >> Yeah. I work closely with my junior and high colleague to make sure that all the students in level two have a strong encouragement to be in level three. I can track them down and I'm very But I think many of our teachers
040are very good at marketing the program uh to level three because at level three it can be concurrent enrollment credit. Um and that's a big sell for our students to start their college transcript and the level three course and then level four course can also be concurrent enrollment and a level five course is an AP class. So my students I teach levels three, four and five can earn college credit in all of the courses that they do which is pretty awesome. >> Okay, I have another question. Sorry. Yeah. So is so like I know a lot of teachers teach concurrent and AP and level whatever all at once. >> Is is that sustainable for them or do we need to move towards them not teaching three different things? >> You know you're asking two teachers
041that are used to teaching four and five different preps. >> No, but I'm saying like in one class, right? >> In one class problematic. >> So do we have enough students to put it into multiple periods? Sometimes at some schools they combine like three four AP. That's where I think we lose students. >> That should be avoided. >> That should be >> because if you have if you're reaching a different destination with your threes and fours and fives, you're teaching it together. It really doesn't students or teacher. >> But aren't like AP concurrent enrollment and but we've seen those at once. Sorry. >> Concurrent enrollment is not French. So, five, >> sorry, not French. Like I But I've seen like for Spanish I've seen it where they're doing like three different >> Sometimes what they'll
042do is they'll do Spanish three and then Spanish 10 10 concurrent enrollment and that that tends to work. But when they start bunching it together and say, you know, German 3, four and AP that that's where it becomes problematic. >> Yeah, >> thank you for the presentation. I am astounded that between the two of you is over 60 years of expertise and experience. I mean that's really really amazing. I >> I know that I mean we've gone a long way even in the last 8 to 10 years with the seal of biiteracy. It's pushed now more than ever. That's such an amazing number. The seal of bi literacy starts when they're in junior high. It actually doesn't have anything to do with where it starts. It's what the students can demonstrate and that is in
043English they need to demonstrate um that they have a level of proficiency and they the evidence they can have is from ACT scores. They're looking at English specific. It's 18 or higher and they used to use Aspire but now that we're that's being phased out it was a three or four. And then on the world language side, they can earn if they earn AP uh a three, four, or a five, that qualifies them on the world language side. The Apple testing, we're looking for an I2, an intermediate 2 in three of the four modes. So, it's really two pieces coming together. >> Do you have any data of how many of our DI students continue on with that particular language until their senior year? >> Oh, the bridge. >> I don't have that. I Erin,
044do you have that? >> I do. an idea. >> Um, okay. I that I'm just curious about that and um because sometimes you hear that DL they kind of the kids by you know sixth seventh grade maybe decide not to do it and I was wondering if you know the state has talked about incentivizing you know these kids to keep them in the program so that they can continue. Has there been any discussion on the state level incentivizing them? Well, the bridge program is one of the incentives where they can be earning the uh is it 30,000 level credit. Um I also know that you is in the process of uh rolling out additional incentives for students that have um like earned the syllabi literacy or have gone through bridge. They have a really nice
045pathway for them um but they don't need to necessarily even apply. Uh they'll just take they'll take them. So because they have they've shown this um they've demonstrated this level of proficiency and that means something to the the university. >> So when that when you test on the speaking part of this of the foreign language, do they test oneon-one with the teacher? How how is that done with the speaking part? >> Yeah, great question. Go ahead. >> It's um it's recorded and so the student receives an audio prompt in a headphone and then they record their response and then that is graded offsite obviously by um a live So the reading and the listening are um are like multiple choice but the um speaking part and the writing part are hand graded by individuals. That's
046quite amazing. And my last question is I've been asked a couple of times uh by people what is the district process for getting a foreign language in like for example Arabic. How what is the district's process? Obviously, you have to have a, you know, a certain number to even qualify to have the program, but what is that? >> I don't know that there's district policy. It seems like that's more sight based. I know that is it a school? Yeah. As I know that I know with Arabic, I was reached out to you like five years ago because there was a certain junior high that had a lot of enthusiasm and I said that's great, but what are you going to do when you go to the high school? And so that's again, are we gonna
047invest in the language at this level if we cannot continue it? Because it's all about student progression. >> And I would say I have spent 33 years making sure that American Fork High School is the best school to transition from a language from the junior high to the high school. That has taken three decades of work. So it's not as easy as it sounds. It is easier if the same languages are taught at the same schools. But I have spent 30 years making sure that we take who we receive and then we build them all the way through so that our students have as many opportunities for language and as much depth of language as they possibly can have because that is where your bang for your buck is in language, right? Everybody can know
048a few words but um those who stick with us for the whole journey can be proficient in another language and then you have all of these benefits to other contents and then the preparation that gives us for life experiences and that has taken that has been my career in one location and then I help out to do that with the district. So it does require a lot of strategic thinking to make sure we offer these um um uh opportunities for our students. >> And I just want to say I love that you did there is with world language a higher academic achievement. But I I do think that that connection piece, >> especially when we have, for example, Spanish, but we have kids that are, you know, are native speakers that are there, there is
049a definite connection piece. And I think that is so helpful. And >> I mean, that's something the district has spent a lot of money on in the last couple of years, at least five or six years, is that connection piece. But to see that through the lens of a foreign language, you can see how crucial it is to help establish that connection piece for students. >> Absolutely. >> Did you have a comment? >> Yeah. So, we now offer nine languages and I really I assessing this I don't really see any of the three districts offering nine languages. Do you? Yeah, >> probably not because uh we we have ASL, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, and then we have um Korean and Italian. And Korean is uh Mountain View High School and Italians at Lone
050Peak. So, it just those are specific to those, but and I don't believe we have any Portuguese out west. Um I I Okay, Erin's shaking his head as well. So >> So it's just really centric to the demand and the location. And is there any precedent for crossing district lines language programs >> like in 2027 >> like right now >> if you had a teacher day? >> Yeah. Yeah. I'm in in the state. I I don't I don't know. There's there's no anyone's crossing borders, it's coming to us. >> It's coming to Outline. >> And going back a slide, um you said that we are going to be >> discontinuing as of May 2026. >> This will be our final districtwide content specific. >> So you're you're down uh you're going to shut that down.
051>> Not not going back to the school. It's going to shut in. >> Okay. Okay. >> So, so that's why we have we're we're shifting our budget to cover subs to see if teachers will still come and learn because our teachers when we when we first um we we asked them, are you willing to keep learning? And we had 84% of our teachers who said we are willing to leave the classroom two times during the school year and attend the cohorts. And so we're like if they're going to come, we're going to build it. We're going to just uh field everyone who wants to to learn. >> I have a question about that. >> What have you guys looked into? Like say you have one high school's offering a language, the other one isn't. >>
052Is there any precedent for zooming into that classroom from the other school or kids doing it on you know watching the lecture IBC that something like that? We we have seen that it's out of all the effective everything it's down here. >> Okay. >> Um it may be better than nothing but it's not great. >> It's it we don't have data that shows it's been okay. >> Awesome. >> So I have two questions Jod and thank you and Rachel. Um I want to know the the three years you said three decades. What were you doing the other three years? >> I was just kidding. I was just trying to figure out what cafeteria was. just my own three years. I didn't know where the gym was. >> Just so awesome. Um, but two questions for
053use the Italian as an example at Lone Peak. >> What is the structure at the middle school or the junior high level if any in that feeder program or is it solely at the high school? >> Solely at the high school. >> It's a niche program based on the um um on a teacher. >> Okay. >> Yeah. So I would love to reframe when we're choosing languages. You're choosing a teacher. It is the teacher who drives the instruction. It is the teacher who drives the learning. You could teach any I could teach any lang well I don't know if I could but technically a good teacher can teach any language and have those results. It is a teacherdriven. So I wouldn't be looking at like wow which great languages could we teach. I would be
054looking at which great teachers can teach these languages. >> Teacher drives the program. Yes. >> So, so that was a comment that I I had made, but I I just wanted to make sure that that was accurate. So, the other question um that I had was relative of the 116 teachers that we have in our world language, do we have any of those teachers on an H1 visa or any that um that we may have to be aware of? >> That would a question for Aaron? probably more for Aaron than for me because I don't do anything with thesis. >> We have 22 teachers. This is elementary and secondary and many of our DI teachers are also teaching world languages. So this is where this overlap is. >> So we do have a handful at
055the secondary level with H1Bs. >> Thank you Aaron. That was my that was my assumption but I just wanted to verify. >> So did you say 22 total? >> 22 total. We have 22 right now with visas. Correct. >> Okay. And I guess maybe a third question. Um do we have any experience where at the junior higher the middle level maybe on an A day we have a teacher that's teaching at the junior higher middle school and then on a B day maybe teaching at a high school. >> Yes. >> So that is that a model that has worked successfully for our students and parents? Yes. But could I add >> accessible for a short amount of time, >> but we ask a lot of our world language teachers. When I began, I taught five
056different levels. And yes, they're all French. But that's like saying to a math teacher, you can teach five levels of math because they're all math. So I taught French one, two, three, four, and five. And I was in charge of my own programming building. And every success I guess I could claim, but every failure I needed to claim as well. And so when we ask a teacher to be at two separate schools, that works in the short term for building a program. But if we ask that to happen too long, we actually burn out the teachers because what we see happen in that case is that we we um artificially keep our course offerings low at the junior high in order to sustain that FTE aotment. And when we're artificially not growing as needed, then
057we're really doing a disservice in the end to our upper level proficiencies. And this is a continuing discussion at many schools. Okay. Well, thank you for your time. I just wanted to remind everyone as we sign off today that when um when we invest in a world language, we're not just investing in memorizing words and conjugating verbs. We really are investing in human connection and we really are appreciative in world languages for the board for supporting us for our district leadership team and a huge shout out to Ed services. Um of course I worked with Scott Sumner and Brian Jolly. I worked with Mark Wooder and uh thank you now to my supervisor Marty Braithweight and to Mel. So just thank you for having us today. >> Awesome. [Applause] >> Well done. Awesome board president.
058Back to you. >> Okay, so it looks like we are done with our agenda for study sessions. So we are done until our board meeting at 6. We will have our inspirational thought. Okay. So, I cannot I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples. And we can see ripples like that in all facets of our life, but I especially think in education. Sometimes you get a ripple right in front of you. A student gets a light bulb moment and you know that they get it. And other times those ripples don't happen for many, many years. Um, my daughter's second grade teacher introduced her to friends that she is still best friends with to this day. And I consider that a great ripple in my
059personal life. Um, one of my favorite things about Skyidge, which is where I'm a parent at, and there's lots, but one of my favorite things is the front doors of the school. A cross that says you belong here as you walk into the doors. um the Skyidge faculty and administration have done an magnificent job of trying to create connections with students and to help create those ripples that will go forward in their life. And I'm sure that's done throughout the district, but I just happen to know Skyidge. Um so I would just encourage you as you're making decisions today and tomorrow and all the things that think about what ripples you're going to create with those decisions. Thanks. >> Thank you. Okay, we're going to move on to our recognition portion of the evening. Um,
060and also just let you know that once we have completed the uh recognitions and you are welcome to exit and go on about your night. So, we will invite principal Walworth and assistant principles. Oh my gosh. Wyatt, Darren, and Jed to come on up. We're so lucky to have all of them come represent today. [Music] All right. Um, Superintendent Smith, uh, Board President King, members of the board. Uh, we appreciate being here and having the opportunity to share a little bit about Skyidge. Uh, really want to thank, uh, Marne for for that awesome introduction and appreciate you, Miss Lemon. Uh, we're going to just start uh, introducing some really important folks at Skyidge and um, so we're going to get going. So, here we go. Let's start with Kelly Spencer. Kelly Spencer, you want to
061come up? Come on up here. [Applause] >> You can just maybe stand right there. There you go. There you go. Right by me. Katie Spencer is our Skyidge kitchen manager and has worked in the district for 25 years. She'll be uh she'll be missed as she's retiring at the end of this year. Mrs. Spencer has been a joy to work with. Kelly more than just feeds our students. She cares about them and goes out of her way to connect with them. Her smile and positivity is appreciated by both students and staff. Thanks, Kelly. Sonia Cuff. [Applause] Sonia Cuff has been an advocate at Skyidge for the last six years and she's uh been in the Alpine District for 19 years. Mrs. Cuff has had a tremendous positive impact on the success and achievement of many
062many of our students. She has a way of encouraging and inspiring her students in the same breath and and to help them reach their full potential. Thank you Sonia. [Applause] Mindy Hinckley. [Applause] Mindy Hinckley is in her 10th year at Skyidge High School as a science teacher. She has taught in our district for the past 15 years. Mindy teaches various advanced placement and concurrent enrollment classes and her student success rate with those two college level courses is through the roof. She has also served in many teacher leadership positions including department chair and on various leadership committees. Thanks Mindy Sharon Gorley. Sharon has been a math teacher at Skyidge since it opened 10 years ago and has been in the Alpine School District for the past 20 years. Sharon is one of our AP math teachers
063and her students pass the AP test at a high rate. She will be retiring this year. I know she looks way too young, but she is. She'll be retiring this year and will be tremendously missed by both students and colleagues. Thanks, Sharon. We're going to move on and recognize some of our awesome um community partners and volunteers. Jennifer Grover is our current school community council chair and has been serving in that position for nine out of our 10 years of existence. She's also served on the SEC of Lehi High School, Lehi Junior High, Viewpoint, and Eaglerrest, totaling over 35 years on our district's community councils. Yes, she started when she was 12. That's that's that's how that's possible. Jennifer and her husband have had nine children through our alpine schools. Her time and support of
064Skyidge has been vital to our success and achievement. Thanks, Jennifer. Dr. Corey Nelson. Dr. Nelson is from Advanced Orthopedics. He's been our team doctor for Sky for the Skyidge Falcons since we opened in 2016. With his tremendous donations of money, time, and resources, Dr. Dr. Nelson has had a great impact on so many of our student athletes. You won't only see him on the sidelines of our athletic contest, but you also see him on our classrooms and our training rooms teaching and supporting. Much of Skyidge's extracurricular success can be traced to Dr. Nelson's commitment and engagement with our students. Thank you, Dr. Nelson. [Applause] I >> think we'll take a picture. Yeah. While we take this picture, can I just have the families of these important awesome folks just stand and be recognized? Thank you
065folks for for sending us such great adults and people Yes, sorry. After the kids or also. I'd like to recognize some students of Skyidge. Uh let's first go with Alyssa Little. Alyssa, where you at? There you are. [Applause] Alyssa is currently a 12th grader at Skyidge with an accumulative GPA of 4.0 and is ranked the number one senior in her class of 817 seniors. She also serves as our future Farmers of America Club president, a member of our National Honors Society, and she plays softball as well. Her plan after graduation is to attend either Utah State or Texas A&M. She's going to be an Aggie either way, and study of veterinary science in order to be a veterinarian. Thanks, Alyssa. [Applause] >> Libby McMillan couldn't join us tonight. She's out of state with her family.
066But let me just read a little bit about Libby. Libby is our a current senior as well who will graduate in May. Has an accumulative GPA of 4.0. She serves on our student leadership council. As the senior class president, also serves on the Utah Association of Student Councils as the committee chair for statewide connections. After graduation in May, Libby plans to serve a mission for her church and attend college and study finance. Here's Libby. Boston Long. Come on up, Boston. Boston is also another one of our seniors at Skyidge. Has a GPA of 3.98. We won't talk about that. A minus. He t he takes pride in everything he does, including serving as Skyidge's student body president. Boston participates in soccer. the compassion club, the pickleball club, and loves his guitar class. After graduation, Boston
067plans to serve a mission for his church and attend BYU and study business. Congratulations, Boston. [Applause] >> N Juliet Ruiz. [Applause] N Juliet moved to Lehi four years ago from Venezuela. Last year, her third year in this country, she passed the WEDA test and currently has a 3.75 GPA. She plays the trumpet in our band. She loves learning to play the guitar and serves on the Skyidge Seminary Council. After graduating in May, she plans to attend BYU, major in political science, and pursue a career in law. Congratulations, Nia. [Applause] Charlie Jackson. Charlie is a senior at Skyidge and is involved with unified sports at Skyidge. His teachers describe him as a really hard worker, takes his education seriously, and is friendly to others. Charlie is engaged in class. He's very respectful and when he experiences
068challenge, he is persevering. He's just a great kid. After receiving his certificate of completion and graduating in May, he will continue at Tech in hopes of becoming a professional actor. Great job, Charlie. Last, but certainly not least, Kingston Seu. Kingston's a senior and is our people of the Pacific Club president. He enjoys Polynesian dancing with his group. Kanani Pua, plays volleyball for Skyidge and will graduate in May. Kingston plans to attend BYU Hawaii and major in culinary arts and also dance at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Thanks, Kingston. [Applause] Picture overview picture first and yeah. Okay. All right. While they're shaking hands, I forgot to acknowledge, but really appreciate if the families of our students, if you can stand up and be recognized. Really appreciate you guys. Thanks for bringing them tonight. Just in closing, I
069I uh they asked me to give a couple minute overview of Skyidge and I just wanted to do that. Um I think the huge part of Skyidge is what you saw here. Our students faculty, our staff, our community partners. They really make that school. Want to just tell a couple informal stories really quick. Um I moved here uh four years ago from out of state and when we were looking for a house uh we found a house that we really liked and it was in the Skyidge boundary. So we made an offer and this was four years ago. So I and probably 11 other people made this an offer on this house and uh made the offer. It was that time where you probably had to offer a lot more than what it was listed
070as an educator. Couldn't really do that. So, um we made our offer and I wrote a letter and uh in the letter I, uh I just described the um importance for me to live in the community that I worked. Talked about um it was important for me to rub shoulders with my parents at the grocery store and run into students at restaurants and the gas station. Anyway, I I uh submitted that letter and to our surprise, our offer was accepted. And our realtor said this. She said, "Um, your offer wasn't the highest, but the letter really got to the seller." And the seller told our realtor this. She said uh he said I just had a daughter graduate from Skyidge and um she struggled at other schools. But when she got to Skyidge, she flourished.
071She thrived. She loved her teachers. She had a tremendous experience at Skyidge. And this parent wanted to give back. I don't know if he's given back by hiring me, but anyway, he wanted to give back to the school. So, we accepted our offer. The second story I just want to share and I share this with my staff. They probably get tired of it. I live in the community and you can tell by my figure that I frequent many restaurants in the Lehi community and anytime I see one of our students, I'll always ask them these two questions. I'll always ask them, "Hey, who's your favorite teacher?" And they'll quickly rattle off one or two teachers. Easy. Then in the next question, I'll I'll ask him. I'll set him up because I don't want to out
072him. I'll say, "Hey, listen. Give me here's the other side of that question." And don't worry, I'm not going to go to the teacher and tell him this, but give me a teacher maybe you struggle with. Maybe maybe not your favorite. It's hard. It's hard to go to their class. And I'm telling you, 95% of the answers goes like this. Gosh, bad teacher. Mr. Wall, I don't I couldn't I don't know. I I like mostly all my teachers. I I can't I can't give you a name. I think Mara mentioned it earlier. You see this picture? I think the reason because this listen, we're not Skyidge is not a perfect school. We've got room to grow. And unfortunately, sometimes kids maybe don't have a great experience here, but overall and in general, I think this
073phrase that hangs over our entrance is the reason why you have such great people and such great experiences personally for me is because everybody in that building really take this important. They want people to feel like they belong. Whether you're a student, whether you're a patron, whether you're a visitor, whether you're a teacher, we really believe this and our actions and words really try to show that everybody belongs at Skyidge. So, thank you very much for letting me share tonight Wal. Thank you. Um, I'm going to be okay. Nobody panic. Uh, is something to be said for looking at all these faces um in year 10 and to having had a front row seat to watch all of this and also being the mother of four children um who have benefited from this incredible team.
074Our admin team are some of the most amazing humans I know not because of their educational expertise but because of the way they treat our Skyidge kids like real whole humans and um and kids that they are helping to mentor on their way. So I am deeply grateful for the work that they do um to help our kids want to be there and for teachers who our kids are excited to go. So as we are in this 10th year, thank you. Thank you for everything you do. Mr. Wallick, the day you came was a good time and we are very happy to have you and just really thank you for everything that you've done to keep things moving and um I that's my the picture that's my favorite thing when I walk into the school
075is that we all belong here. So thank you for coming and thank you for sharing. Um and on that note, if you did come for recognition, you are welcome to exit now. Thank you for coming. Wish you safe travels on with our portion of the meeting. Okay, board members, I will entertain a motion to adjourn from our board meeting. I move that we adjourn. >> Second. >> Motion from Ada, second from Emily. Any discussion? All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Okay. Okay. And I will declare the public hearing open. Um, please come to the microphone. First up, we have Ryder Berry and then Bronny Berry and then Emma Corey. Okay, just kidding. Um, okay. This is the public hearing regarding potential boundary adjustments between Blackidge Elementary, Cedar Valley Elementary, Desert Sky Elementary, Eagle
076Valley Elementary, Hidden Hollow Elementary, and Mountain Trails Elementary. First, we'll hear from Kristen Cable, then Ashley Cook, and then Wyatt Cook. Thanks for hearing from me. I appreciate it. My name is Kristen Cable and interested in this meeting on both sides, both of these issues that we're talking about today. So, my comments are going to bleed to both. I hope that's okay. I'm sorry. So, I'm interested in this meeting both as a parent with children. My first four children went to Eagle Valley Elementary and my second or my last two children went to Cedar Valley Elementary. Went to Cedar Valley Elementary. I'm currently a teacher at Mountain Trails Elementary. So, I have a vested interest in the whole area. So, um, the teachers at Cedar Valley and Mountain Trails and Eagle Valley are second to
077none in my opinion. A lot of them are a major reason that I went back to school just five years ago to get my own degree in education, which I love. It's been wonderful. My children thrived under all of their care at all of these schools. But I would like to speak today mostly from the perspective of a teacher at a very overcrowded school or that has historically been up and down. As I know that you know it doesn't make sense to me to close a school when doing so will add more students to overcrowded classrooms. There's talk about money and spending and that is very valid. However, please realize there are more costs to an overcrowded school than literal money. I taught at Mount Trails the year we reached about 1,400 students. We had
078five trailers outside the building which ate up half of the playground. Some of our playground equipment had to be removed. Put double the kids in half the space and you're going to have conflict. The lunchroom was also terribly crowded. Classes could only go to the library for a 15inute period of time rather than a half an hour because there just wasn't enough space for every class to go for the recommended time. Um, I taught on a second grade team with seven teachers. We were not the small the largest team at school. There was eight first grades, eight third grades, eight kindergartens. That of course was before when we still had half day. So that would be, I guess, 16 today. Um, some upper grade classes didn't have the same amount of team members, but their
079populations reached 37 to 38 students per class. And let me tell you, as a teacher, I have 33 students right now, and I love them dearly, and I will teach my heart out for them every day of every year of my life. But the first thing that suffers in a classroom that is too big is small group instruction and personal interventions. That is the first thing that suffers. The next things that suffer is relationships. It's harder to get to know that many children on a personal level when there's so many of them. And they all want to connect to you. and you want to connect to all of them. Next, physical space. We've got sixth graders in trailers that are very small. That's the year I taught sixth grade, I had three boys that were
080six foot tall. Cramming them in these little classrooms with that many peers is hard. It's hard to get to the copier. We had to have two assemblies for every assembly because only half the class or half the school could fit into the gym, wall to- wall, stage to lunchroom. Um, that's tough, but we did it and we'll do it again if we have to because we all have the best intentions for our students as I know that you do and the parents here do. So, to my suggestions, leave Cedar Valley open. Add Firefly. Let it grow. We will need a school on the west side soon. When that happens, make a brand new Cedar Valley Elementary School in Cedarport. Or leave Cedar Valley open, but don't add Firefly. However, fill up Cedar Valley. Calculate just
081how many students they can hold. Maximum open a lottery to allow parents from city center to bring their kids out if they will agree that they don't get a bus and they don't get reimbured for mileage. Let them drive them out. I would have I loved Eagle Valley, but it was crowded. I would have brought my kids out there if it meant a smaller class size. Um, last point. If you do end up closing Cedar Valley, and I understand that you may, please consider making the new school Cedar Valley Elementary. There's a long, long tradition out there. This is, to my understanding, the oldest still operating school in Alpine District. It's been through other iterations. It was a little four square brick schoolhouse. It's now an old church building. If it must close, please let
082it remain in existence. Let it be the new school. Let it be the Wranglers. Let it bring the culture that it's already established. Bring artifacts. Why not decorate the school with some things that came from the brick, things that came from the little church house they're in? Now, those are just my thoughts. Please also consider leaving it open to alleviate crowding in other places. It's got functioning classrooms with room for kids. Please leave it open so that they can go there. Thank you. >> Thank you, Ashley Cook. >> Good evening. Um, my comments may kind of relate also to the closure. I'm sorry. It all kind of goes together, but this is more towards the boundary study. Um, tonight you're not just considering a boundary proposal. You're looking at an opportunity to find a common
083sense solution that supports our entire district. I'd like to propose a simple, fiscally responsible change to this boundary study. I'm talking about the very west portion of Cedar Pass Ranch neighborhood. That neighborhood also sits kind of separate or separate from the rest of their area. Um, if you look at the map currently, those students are zoned for Hidden Hollow Elementary. We've done some research and we can show that the bus ride from Cedar Pass Ranch, that specific neighborhood, to Hidden Hollow is virtually the same distance as the ride to the the Cedar Valley Elementary School. Um, here's why this matters. If you move the Cedar Pass Ranch students to Cedar Valley Elementary, you won't be increasing bus time or district transportation costs. We're talking about a lateral move that makes perfect sense for our school
084and theirs. I'm sure Hidden Hollow could also use relief of students um where we have room to grow. It's a nocost way to increase enrollment at Cedar Valley and help keep our doors open. Now consider this the alternative. If you close our school, Cedar Valley Elementary, you're proposing to send students from Fairfield and White Hills and Cedar Fort and Firefly to a new school in Eagle Mountain. This decision will create a new set of problems. Increased busing costs. The longer bus routes will require more fuel and more time from our bus drivers, directly increasing the district's expenses. Increased time on the bus for students. This is going to be a 60 minute bus ride at least for some of our students. Um, this is not an acceptable solution. It adds two hours to their day,
085making a school day nearly 9 hours long for a child. Um, this is a burden on our students health and their well-being. By making this m one minor change to the boundary study, reszoning the Cedar Valley or the Cedar Pass Ranch neighborhood to Cedar Valley Elementary, you can strengthen our school, avoiding a negative impact on students in our community and do so without increasing district costs. It's a win-win solution that benefits all of us and I believe that the Cedar Pass branch kids would benefit from coming to our school. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, we have YA Cook. >> Good evening. Um I'm Wyatt Cook. I'm the mayor Cedar Fort. Um so like everybody else, my comments might bleed over a little bit. Um I feel like this issue, uh the boundary adjustment as
086well as the closure are pretty similar. Um, I understand the separating them and getting that difference. Um, but they they go hand in hand, right? Um, they go together. Um, so I I appreciate some of the other comments as far as the history goes. Um, I've lived in Cedar Fort. I've been out there my whole life. Um, I had uh parents that went to Cedar Valley Elementary. Um, I went there. My kids are going there. Um the interesting thing about bus routes is I was actually somebody who experienced um the bus routes. Um when I was in sixth grade in Cedar Valley um that uh grade got moved over to Lehigh Elementary. Um and that added it was about an hour onto our day um every day. For a sixth grader that's not horrible. You're
087already kind of getting used to that because you're getting ready to go into middle school and that type of thing. Um but it's drastic especially for the younger grades. Um that's a significant impact right. Um so as far as the boundary study goes specifically I I don't think all options have been explored and I think this is being very rushed. I think we need to reevaluate it, look at it, take some more time on it. Um just for example the bus route um that was brought up by the last commenter. Um I don't think that's been entertained. I don't think that's been looked at and I think there's a lot of things like that or that are getting missed um that we and you guys have the duty to look at. Um that's something that
088we need to entertain and look at. So bus routes I think are a big thing. Um also growth in the area. I don't think the growth is being considered as much out there um as what it realistically is. Um Eagle Mountain is growing at a significant rate. Um I don't think any of you live out there. Um but it's it's a significant rate that it's growing every day. Um Firefly is growing significantly. Um and then not to mention that Fairfield and Cedar Fort are also growing as well. Um we've always kind of tried to push off growth. We haven't wanted it. The residents are changing our mind. Um just Cedar Fort alone, we're looking at we're in the process of approving a 200 home subdivision right now. that's going to start probably next year. Um,
089there's another one that's 120 homes that we're approving as well. We've also approved a couple small ones. We have a nine lot subdivision that's starting building. It started yesterday. Um, we have some other ones that are doing it as well. And this boundary study, I think, needs to take that into consideration. There's there's a lot of things, a lot of different adjustments that I think could be made to accommodate that growth and and where it needs to be. So, Um, yeah. So, that's pretty much all I have for that. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mayor Cook. I declare the public hearing closed. And now I will declare the public hearing open for the possible closure of Cedar Valley Elementary School. Um, first we have Brighter Berry followed by Bronny Berry, followed by Emma Corey. [Music]
090Um so my family has been in the school for many generations. So yeah I don't Yeah that's it. Thank you, Ryder. [Applause] >> Hi, my name is Brownie Bry and this is the fifth year I've gone to Cedar Valley. My family has attended this school since my great great great grandpa. It is fun that I get to go to the same school that my ancestors went to. >> Thank you, Bonnie. [Music] Okay, next up is Emma Corey followed by Tank Cause. Hello, my name is Emma Corey. I love Cedar Valley because there's this buddy bench and when people are sad or lonely, they go and sit on the buddy bench. Then other people ask if they can play with them and then they go play together and I really like that because nobody's left out
091and that's why I like Cedar Rally. >> Thank you, Emma. Tank cause and then Heather Wriggley. [Music] We had this practiced valley because do you want to show them your picture? Can you tell them about it? >> Did you draw us a picture? Do you want to tell me about your picture? at school. What is your house? The humanitas. What does that mean? Kindness. So, you get to be kind to all of your friends at school. And that's what makes Cedar Valley so cool, huh? Do you want to go show them your picture? You can give it to them. Thank you, Tank. Okay. Next up is Heather Wriggley, followed by Maria Fernandez. >> Can I move this up? >> Okay, here we go. Good evening. My name is Heather Wriggley. I'm here to strongly oppose
092the closure of Cedar Valley Elementary. Closing Cedar Valley won't save meaningful money, but it will strain the other elementary schools in our area and compound problems at the start of our new district without giving our new board members time to collect their own data and do their own study. We keep hearing concerns about costs, but the data is clear. School closures save only about 4% of a budget, mostly from labor, which is minimal when staff are simply reassigned. Meanwhile, the hidden costs are huge. overcrowded classrooms, teacher burnout, behavior issues, longer bus rides, and lower academic outcomes. And that's not savings. It's just shifting the burden. Our elementaryaries have an overcrowding crisis in the area. Eagle Valley was built for 500 students and holds 750. Blackidge has 850. Mountain Trails is over a thousand. The elementary
093school opening next fall will be full the day it opens. Closing Cedar Valley will pour fuel on this fire, and your maps prove it, showing schools growing to nearly 1500 students in some cases. Keeping Cedar Valley open will solve problems. The maps ignore active developments in Cedar Fort, Fairfield, and White Hills, even more growth that will have to go to surrounding schools. Why isn't there a boundary option that has Firefly going to Cedar Valley? Why aren't we exploring boundary options that keep all our elementary schools from being crowded for the next six plus years? Using all the space at Cedar Valley and adding a satellite could create space for more than 400 students, relieve pressure across the area, and bring per pupil costs in line with the average across the district. That's smart, sustainable planning.
094The district has given four factors for this decision that you're looking at. Educational outcomes. Cedar Valley performs on par with Utah schools above average in science thanks to our wonderful teachers with strong special education and teacher teams. Closing will dismantle those successes. Community identity. Cedar Fort White Hills and Fairfield are very tight-knit. Cedar Valley reflects that heritage and build students with grit, kindness, and belonging. Closing the school will weaken those bonds that hold the communities together. Transportation. Our current bus routes are efficient. Shutting down Cedar Valley means longer commutes, complicated logistics, and less parent involvement. Capacity. Nearby schools are overflowing. Cedar Valley is not. It is a resource the district should prudently use to the fullest extent. Keeping it open will improve the experience of every student in our area and save the new district
095millions of dollars. Cedar Valley Elementary is more than a building. It is the heart of our communities. A relief valve for bursting schools and a proven place of student success. Closing it now is premature and harmful. I urge you to keep Cedar Valley open. Overcrowding is the problem and Cedar Valley is part of that solution. Please don't throw away a valuable asset. Thank you. >> Thank you, Heather. Um, we have Maria Fernandez, board members. The paper that you were given earlier goes with her helmet. And then after Maria, we'll have Monica Corey and then Rachel Hus. >> Hi, good evening. The meeting was opened today with a comment of reflection regarding ripples. Ponder on this while I share the following. Eagle Mountain continues to push for growth at approximately 4.1,000 people a year. Building houses
096and bringing in bodies seems to be a priority over building community. One road in and out in every direction, and that's not taking into considerations accidents that bring that road down to one lane or a close completely. Every elementary school currently in the M is at capacity and is only continuing to burst at the seams. This doesn't even take into consideration the middle schools and the high schools. Closing our school, Cedar Valley Elementary, prior to resolving the already revolving issues that are not in anyone's best interest. This decision is being considered partly due to the costs and I've given you a handout that shows that the cost is only due at the moment to our size and as we continue to grow that dollar amount will come down drastically. I want to stress that personnel
097making these decisions physically go through the steps our children are taking on a daily during school from bus routes to dining facilities and PE in the classroom sizes that all affect our children. Again, your decision will have ripples that will echo for decades to come and should not be one that is rushed as we continue to share the many issues that are plaguing our area. Thank you. Thank you, Monica, Corey, Rachel Hos, and then Britney Berry. Sorry, >> I got Sorry, I gota point to this one. Hi, my name is Monica Corey and you may remember me. I am here to speak about a possible alternative to the boundary ideas that have been presented to the public so far in this study. Here is a map detailing our adjustments. We call it ideal enrollment numbers
098in all schools. We took one of the maps released to the public and added the Firefly community back into Cedar Valley Elementary's boundaries. This makes sense because they are already in our school boundaries. Now, we then adjusted Mountain Trails projected student populations to reflect not having Firefly in their school. Sorry. We then adjusted Mountain Trails projected student populations to reflect not having Firefly in their school boundaries and added those numbers to Cedar Valley's projected student populations. Instead of closing down, Cedar Valley Elementary School would have 214 students in 2026 and 550 in 2029. All of the other schools on our map would have 150 or less students in their boundaries in 2029. The other neighborhoods in this area vary slightly between your maps, and we acknowledge that those boundaries may end up slightly different than
099the ones shown here. Cedar Valley Elementary School has a current student body of 130 students and can accommodate just over 300 students without any additions to our campus. If we were to add more classrooms to our campus though, we could accommodate the growth predicted in our new map. Please consider this alternative as it lets Cedar Valley Elementary aid other our other Ela Mountain schools against overcrowding. Thank you. [Applause] [Music] Hi. You might remember me also. I'm Rachel Haw. Um, and I have two boys that attend Cedar Valley. So, as Monica just mentioned, Cedar Valley has a current st current student bondi of 130, but can accommodate just over 300 students. But if we were to build a 12 classroom unit with bathrooms in our parking lot, we would be able to accommodate over 550 students.
100Over the past few weeks, I have researched mobile classroom options, including floor plans and preliminary cost estimates for construction, utility connections, and related expenses. Based on this re research, I am confident that we could build a 12 classroom mobile facility complete with restrooms for under three million. While this represents a significant investment, it offers a practical and cost-effective solution as we prepare for the transition to a new district in two years. This option would help accommodate continued student growth in Eagle Mountain, maintain smaller class sizes, and provide the flexibility needed until a new permanent school can be constructed. I hope that this option will be considered further before a decision is made to close Cedar Valley. Thank you. >> Thank you, Rachel. We have Britney Barry, followed by Wyatt Cook. Hello, my name is Britney
101Barry and I am a parent of three students at Cedar Valley Elementary. I would urge you to reconsider the potential closure closure of Cedar Valley Elementary. In researching alternatives to the closure, I discovered that there are many funding opportunities that should be considered to help offset the cost of the growing Cedar Valley. For example, Meta has awarded grants to many Eagle Mountain schools and other nonprofits in this area, ranging from $1,000 up to $40,000. The elementary schools were Desert Desert Sky Elementary, Hidden Hollow Elementary, and Saratoga Shores Elementary. Unfortunately, according to my research, Cedar Valley did not apply last year. With the new application window for the 2026 through 2027 awards opening soon, this is a great time to act. I am grateful the Alpine District um actively seeks out these opportunities. I hope Cedar
102Valley Elementary will be part of that process this time. There are grants like META that can be combined with other grants to increase the amount of funds. We are actively looking into other avenues as well. As a community, we are ready to step up and support with finding supplemental funding. We know $3 million is significant, but it is still far less than the cost of building an entirely new school, which is approximately 40 million. We simply ask that you pause any decision to approve closure of Cedar Valley Elementary so we can explore these solutions fully. The district will split in two years, and I ask that you postpone this decision until then. Thank you. and thank you for your consideration and time. [Applause] >> Thank you, Britney. Um, Wyatt Cook and then Holly McKenna. >>
103Hello again. Um, so I'll I'll start with first off, I I understand your guys' role and and I want to thank you guys for the positions you're in. Um, I know it's a thankless job. Um, and you guys deserve all the credit. um for doing this position, right? Um especially the the employees that are here as well. Um we we appreciate you guys taking the time to listen to that and all that. Um so I I want to start with um being in as an elected official um you guys are in a similar position, right? And for me, um, I feel that your guys's votes, um, and and forgive me because I haven't seen where you guys have vote, um, on everything, but you guys should be voting for the parents and the children. Um,
104not for yourselves, not for your own bias, not that stuff. When when I vote, I don't vote for my opinion. I I don't vote for what I feel. I listen to the community. I listen to what they have to say. That's where my vote goes. Um, and and I feel anybody in an elected position should do the same thing. Um, as far as the school closure goes, um, it it was already kind of mentioned, but I'm I'm strongly opposed to it, and I think that this is being rushed, and I see a few of the the new board um, for our area here. um and and in the audience, but I feel like they haven't had proper time to evaluate this or look at it and they're coming into it and expected to vote on
105this fairly rapidly. Um from my understanding and I don't think that's ethically right. I think they should have time to evaluate it, look at it, understand what it is, know what it is, and then make an informed decision. Um, again, I already kind of mentioned uh the significant growth that's going to happen in our area. Um along with that um so we're once the new district starts that west district we're going to be one of the few in the state that is still significantly growing um at at a significant rate usually across the country and those types of things when there's a district that's growing at that rate school closures are not even entertained um because it it's not feasible and you need every single classroom for all the students. Um and and I think
106that's what we need. We need every single classroom we have available for all the students that we have. Um so kind of last thing I'll touch on real quick is community impact. This is one of the only few things that we have in our community um that keeps our community alive, keeps it going. We don't have hardly any commercial growth in our area and this school is the heart of our community. Um it it helps our community, we help it. Um and and it makes a significant impact. I would also encourage all of you to please reach out to me and talk to me. Um I feel like this is a very crucial and important um decision and I would love to talk to you each individually about what your thoughts are, concerns are and
107talk about those. Um, I believe Julie has my number and I'd love to speak to all of you. Thank you, Mayor Cook. We have Holly McKini, followed by Colette Wheeler, followed by Courtney Bond. >> Good evening. Thank you for allowing me to speak for a minute. I am Mayor McKini from Fairfield. Last year when we were discussing the district split, I know I had asked a few of you if you knew what you were going to do with the Firefly development and a couple of you had responded that you didn't even know what that was. Um, it's a huge development that is actually two miles north of Fairfield and directly south of Cedarport. Believe me when I say every single day I have developers calling me saying wanting to develop in our town. I think
108it's really sad also that you guys are even discussing closing a building that has stood at the heart of a community for 118 years. That school has been more than just classrooms and hallways. It has been a place where generations of children have learned to grow and build lifelong friendships. As our town continues to experience rapid growth, the impacts are being felt in ways that directly affect our kids. The closure of a school will mean that many of our youngest students will now face nearly an hour long bus ride each day and on a dangerous highway. For children just beginning their educational journey that is a significant burden and one that our community must work together to address. I understand it's an old school and we need to do something. give us the time and
109I mean I saying give us two years you know let us come up with somewhere to put our school for our kids and we will do that but it's it's really hard to know that the governor is saying we've got to increase the housing and do you know where that housing's going to go right between Fairfield and Cedar Fort that would impact that school out there. We need a school in the Firefly development. We don't need to close where these kids already go. We need one in the Firefly development and we could probably actually support it now. But let us work on that. Let us work on a development agreement with Firefly to get a school in place for our kids to go to. I'm asking you please leave this open until you have somewhere
110to put our kids. Do not put them on that dangerous highway. If any of you guys drove out there every day, you would understand what a hell hole it is for us to drive out there on a daily basis and for us to put elementary kids on that highway with buses and not counting the growth that is going to go on out there. You're going to have to add in several buses that are going to drive back into Eagle Mountain and it is going to add a significant amount of time on that day. there most days around 3:30 it takes me 45 minutes to get from the ranches to Fairfield that's not on a bus and that's not stopping I please consider this of what you're doing you're considering doing to the kids and please
111don't take away a school that has been in generations out there and is it is the heart of the community please consider that thank you thank you next we have Colette Wheeler, Courtney Bolt, I know I'm getting your name wrong. I'm so sorry. And then Lauren Cook, sorry, I'm short. Okay. I'm Colette Wheeler and I live in Fair or sorry, um, Cedar Fort. I'm what's considered a move in. I haven't been there all my life. That's my community. These are my people. My people. I don't have children that go to school there. Don't close close down the school for my people. These beautiful children that live out there, who have lived out there for generations. My own children didn't go to school there. They went to overpop populated schools where they didn't get a good
112education. Not one of my children graduated from high school. You want to know why? It was overpop populated in classrooms that had over 35 children in each classroom from elementary, junior high, and high school. Overpopulated. My oldest son, when he was in fifth grade, was brought up to the front of the classroom and told he was stupid by a teacher. They're told that in this school, these children are loved by their teachers. Loved by their teachers. You need to take that into consideration. My youngest son moved out of Utah to get away. And now he says, "Mom, I want to move back home." He has a new baby. And he says, "Mom, I want to move home." And he said, "But the only way the only place I want to move home is Cedar Fort."
113And I said, "Okay, but I have to make sure they're not going to close down our school because That's where he wants my grandbaby to go to school. My grandbaby. And if you close our school, you're going to do an injust to my grandchild. Think about it. Think about the all these beautiful children. Think about my grandbaby and his ability to have the right to learn, the right to have a great education. They have a right to a great education, don't they? You're not all looking at me. I want your attention. These children have a right to a great education. If you shut down our school and put them in different schools, you're going to shove them into sardine cans. They don't deserve that. They deserve to be in Cedar Valley Elementary, don't they? Yes,
114they do. Don't take that away from them ever. Thank you. [Applause] Thank you, Mrs. Wheeler. Courtney, followed by Lauren Cook, followed by Riker Cook. Good evening, members of the board. My name is Courtney Bow and I'm here tonight to speak on behalf of my dear friend Danielle Bean, who couldn't bring herself to speak publicly about this because of how deeply personal it is. She asked me to share her story because Cedar Valley means so much to her and her family. 10 years ago, Danielle experienced an unimaginable loss. She lost her mother to suicide. That grief changed her forever. Through the pain of that loss, she learned something profound. Healing doesn't happen alone. It happens when you are surrounded by a strong, caring community. For Daniel and her family, Cedar Valley has been exactly that. It's
115not just a school. It's been a place of connection, stability, and hope. The teachers, families, and students have been there for her through some of the hardest moments of her life. Disrupting or dismantling Cedar Valley would do more than move students to different buildings. It would break apart the very relationships that hold this community together. When schools like Cedar Cedar Valley thrive, they create safety and stability. Not just for students, but for families who might be silently struggling. Just as this community has helped my friend heal, it has the power to lift up many others who may be facing challenges we don't see. On behalf of Danielle, I and family, I urge you to save Cedar Valley. This decision is more than numbers or logistics. It's about protecting a lifeline for families, a safe place
116for students, and a community that gives hope. Please choose to keep Cedar Valley whole and strong so that families like my friends and countless others can continue to grow, heal, and thrive together. I also wanted to just add as well as a parent who has had her students or my kids go to schools that were in Eagle Mountain. My kids went to Hidden Hollow before they transferred out to Cedar Valley Elementary. And as a parent, I can see a difference. My kids can see a difference. My kids scores have gone up. Their grades have gone up. Their friends that they have made at school are lifelong friends. They all act like they are siblings out there. It is truly a community unlike any other you've ever seen. I really urge you if you have not
117been out there personally to go by that school to drive on the roads to see the bus routes that you are proposing for our community and our students for the safety um and for how busy that road is. That is terrifying as a parent to send my kid to school on that bus. Thank you so much for your time. >> Thank you. >> Good evening. My name is Lauren Cook. I'm a parent of three soon to be four children at Cedar Valley Elementary. Two of my children have individualized education plans. One of them faces monumental learning challenges. I'm here tonight because I believe closing Cedar Valley would not only disrupt their education, but take away the very environment that allows them and children like them to thrive. Cedar Valley offers top tier special education services
118here. Teachers know my children by name, by need, and by strength. They are not lost in the shuffle. They are seen, supported, and and believed in. We have lived the alternative. In large outofstate schools, my children's IEPs were little more than paperwork. Teachers couldn't possibly give attention needed. The peers never got to truly know them. Their potential was overlooked, not because the teachers didn't care, but because the environment was impossible for them. Cedar Valley is different. In rural schools, relationships come first. Every student is known not as a number but as a person for children with unique learning challenges. That difference is everything. Closing this school would simply not be a budget decision. It would be a decision that reshapes lives and not for the better. I urge you to keep Cedar Valley open. Let
119us continue to give children, especially the most vulnerable among them, a chance to grow, to be seen, and to reach their full potential. Thank you. [Applause] >> Thank you, Lauren. Next up, we have Riker Cook, then Britney Holding, and then Samantha Cook. >> Hi, I'm Riker. I am a former student of Cedar Valley Elementary and I'm here to strongly oppose the closing of it. I have learned so many things there such as and life skills like responsibility, respect, per kindness and um and I can definitely notice a change. I have recently gone into middle school this year and it honestly is crazy the difference in students because of how rude and disrespectful they are to the teachers and how just bad they act. And I also know that I can always come to my teachers
120for help. I have gone to my fifth and sixth grade teachers for help with homework numerous times that I didn't understand and they took time out of their day to help me understand what I couldn't understand. And that you I couldn't have my other teachers help me because they didn't have time for me. And at Cedar Valley, I am more than just a student. I am their friend. They know me by name. They know exactly what I do. They always ask about my day. But in middle school right now, I'm just a number, just another student. they have to get through before they can go to lunch or before they can go home. So, I just want to let you guys know that I would go back to Cedar Valley in a heartbeat and it
121breaks my heart that you guys are even considering closing it. >> Thank you, Rick. Sorry, this is way too tall for me. Hi, I'm Britney Holding. I'm a parent of two girls at Cedar Valley Elementary. I'm Cedar Fort's um alumni from kindergarten to fifth grade. My three brothers attended Cedar Valley Elementary, as well as my own mom, her dad, and lots of other relatives of mine. Um my children are known by their first name at Cedar Valley Elementary. Um one of my oldest daughter's fondest memory of kindergarten on her first day was her custodian helping her open her chocolate milk. Everyone loves Gabe, the custodian in Cedar Valley Elementary. Um, he still now teases her if she eats her food. He's asking my kindergartenner if she's eating her food because she takes one bite. There's
122encouragement there because there's enough staff that can help encourage the kids to eat a little bit more because my kids are not good eaters. Some of the current staff that are there now were first year teachers when I went to school and they're still there today. Um, my kids feel seen and they have a name. Our staff cares for our children like their own. And we recently lost an amazing principal, Mr. Leair. And my daughter was in tears along with her classmates and their goodbye assembly. They look out for their well-being. They want them to succeed. If my kindergartener won't take more than one bite of lunch, encouragement comes in. And if my fourth grader is a kind, she's recognized for it. My oldest knows when it's her birthday, they get to go to the
123principal's office and pick out a book from the the office. And they just know that's so special. I would hope you as a board would look at the well-being for our kids. We're not a number or a chart. Imagine being on a bus 40 minutes headed over to a new school and you're going to be in sixth grade to a new elementary school. You've been raised with the same students your entire kindergarten through fifth grade. You get settled into your new class and admin walks in and they tell you and one other boy that you know from Cedar Valley Elementary that you're going to be moved to a different classroom because the classrooms are too full. You are disrupted in your new school, in your new class to go to another new class. And you're
124crying because they have four full classrooms already of sixth graders. No friends in your class. Kids who have been creating friendships for years. You were shy and scared. This was me headed to Snow Springs in sixth grade. I worry that now this is the future for my now already anxious fourth grader. Will she struggle? Will she be known my name? Will she be an outsider to these friend groups that have already been made? Will my kindergartner thrive in a class of 40? Please let our school take in more students and wait to close us down. Please don't rush this decision. It's time you put our kids first. They deserve the gold standard they have now. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Hi, I'm Samantha Cook. Um I'm a former Cedar Valley Elementary kid as well.
125Um, you guys just met my daughter Riker Cook who spoke. She was in Cedar Valley and then I currently have a child who just entered Cedar Valley. So today I want to speak to you about why closing our school runs counter to Alpine School District's vision for learning. Your vision emphasizes equipping students with knowledge, skills, and dispositions that prepares them for success in school and in life. In our small school, this vision is not just words. It's lived every single day. Teachers know each child by name and by need. That personal connection ensures students are not just absorbing information but truly understanding and applying it across all areas. In this smaller setting, no student is invisible. Every child has the opportunity to be seen, challenged, and supported. The district also values development of collaboration, communication,
126creativity, and critical thinking. In an overcrowded classroom, those capacities are harder to cultivate. But in our school, small class sizes and strong teacher student relationships create the perfect environment for these skills to flourish. Students can work together more effectively, have more chances to participate, and gain the confidence to think critically because they're not competing against dozens dozens of other voices for attention. When it comes to dispositions, good character, and citizenship, there is no stronger training ground than a small town school. Here, students are not just CL classmates, they're teammates, neighbors, and community members. They learn responsibility, service, and leadership in ways that extend beyond the classroom. Closing the school would rob them of those unique opportunities to develop character within the tight-knit, supportive environment. Your vision also highlights partnerships, innovation, and community belonging. Our small
127school is the heart of our community. It is where families, educators, and local partners come together to support children. To close it would be to close it to close it would club to close it would fracture that bond and send students to schools already strained with overcrowding where belonging is harder to achieve. Instead of enhancing learning, this move would diminish it for both the students displaced and the students already in those crowded classrooms. Finally, we cannot ignore the practical side. Our school still has room for growth. Instead of stretching city schools past capacity, why not strengthen what we already have? This is not just a matter of saving a school building. It is about preserving a culture of belonging, maximizing district resources, and honoring the commitment to provide high level learning for every student. Closing
128our school contradicts the very principles of Alpine School District stands for. By keeping it open, you protect students learning, preserve community partnerships, and stay true to your vision of equipping every child with the knowledge, skills, and character that they need to thrive. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, we have Whitney Dancy, followed by Ashley Cook. All right. Hello, my name is Whitney Danzy and thank you for letting me speak today. So, I want to share why I believe closing Cedar Valley Elementary would have a tremendous impact on our community. Cedar Fort, Fairfield, White Hills, and the Cedar Valley. Cedar Valley has been carrying over a hundred years of history. The students at Cedar Valley Elementary are connected to their heritage and the history that this community to this community in a real way. I grew
129up in Haramman when it was a small town and everybody knew everybody. I remember when we got our first elementary school and I remember knowing everyone at my school and knowing my teachers and having a real connection. I remember on one of our field trips we went and saw all of the things that were pioneer history heritage to Haramman and it was awesome and I truly felt as a student connected to my community. I knew where I came from. I knew where my ancestors came from. I felt connected to that and that is what the students at Cedar Valley have and what they feel. Um, Cedar Valley Elementary is more than just a school. It is the heart of our rural community. Many of these students come from agricultural and rural backgrounds where connection and
130community are everything. Generations and traditions. Whenever there's an event at the school, the whole community shows up. When volunteers are needed, people step forward. The school brings everyone together creating belonging not just for the students but the entire community and for the growth coming our way. I know they will feel belonging at Cedar Valley Elementary. I grew well I already said that I grew up in her but like we know herin is exploded and it is not the same heramin that I grew up in. and those feelings of heritage and knowing of where you belong, that is no longer there. And that is what I don't want to see happen to Cedar Valley Elementary and the community. I would like to have a school where they know where they come from and they feel it
131and it you keep it there. And I think someone else already mentioned if you open up a new school, keep the heritage. Keep it keep it. It's been going for 118 years. Let's keep it going. Um, like I said, um, this is also an unders underserved rural community. Closing the school would directly affect students who depend on it most, Utah has always taken pride in supporting and strengthening rural and underserved areas. Recognizing that these communities pay play an essential role in the fabric of our state, closing Cedar Valley Elementary would run counter to that commitment. If Cedar Valley Elementary is closed and the connection connections risk being lost, students will be sent somewhere else and the daily reminder of their roots would eventually disappear. And I know this because I saw it happen in Haramman.
132The sense of belonging and togetherness that this school has created would much be harder to hold on to. This decision isn't about numbers on paper. It's about people, students, and a future of a community with deep roots. Closing Cedar Valley Elementary would have a lasting impact, not just today, but for generations to come. I urge you to consider what would be lost if the school closes one day. The history, the sense of belonging, the support of rural students, and the pride our childrens feel in knowing where they came from. Please, let's preserve that. Thank you. >> Thank you. All right, you guys have heard a lot tonight. We're not going to keep you here until midnight because that would be too painful for everyone involved. Um, I'm a parent and I'm a member of this
133community. These people are amazing. Um, you've heard tonight from our students and what Cedar Valley Elementary means to them. You've heard from our older kids that talk about how it has set them up for junior high and and high school and how they still come back to their same teachers for help. We have college kids that still call their teachers here for help. You can't do that other places. Um we've heard a few facts. We we've talked about the the data on enrollment. We've talked about growth. We've talked about the financial reality of things. We have talked about um the projected growth being wrong on some of the maps. And um we've learned that this is not a hopeless situation. We've explored alternatives. We are open to doing whatever it takes. This is a community
134that is not looking for a handout. It's a community that's ready to step up and work with you to make sure that this school can work. We have a list of several other agencies that we can get grants from as well as the ones already mentioned. Um, we've heard about the broader impact of leaving this void in our community. There's nothing else there. I I don't know how else to put that. It's going to feel so empty. There is nothing else there. Um looking at the big picture of things, I do want to mention also that um our mayors as they are having developers call them, they have been asking for land for schools, they have had um intentions and and have even acted on applying for land through trust lands and BLM to get
135land for schools. We do not want to be open at the expense of all of the other schools. We want to be open as a solution to the growth problem. Um, and we know that that means that we can't stay open forever. So, our ask is to please wait till we get a Firefly school. Just hold on that long so that we can get a Firefly School. Um, what our community has shown tonight is that the closure of Cedar Valley Elementary isn't just a bud a budget decision. It it's a decision that will irrevocably alter the social, emotional, and educational fabric of Cedar Fort, White Hills, Firefly, and Fairfield. We are not just a line item on a budget. We are your constituents, your neighbors, and the parents of the children you are sworn to
136serve. We are here tonight to ask you to work with us to invest in us and to find a solution that keeps our school open. Let's not break the heart of this community. Let's work together to save Cedar Valley Elementary. Thank you. And you can scan this QR code for a video that we will be putting to the public tomorrow. Thank you. >> Oh, did you get it? Um, we want to thank everybody who came out tonight to speak to us and I will now declare the public hearing closed. We are going to saunter for two minutes. So talk amongst yourselves and then we'll return. Board member Lincoln, are you in this room? Okay, we will welcome everybody back and call this meeting to order. Um, as a moment of personal privilege before we move
137on with the agenda, Skyidge students, if you would like to come on up here for a minute, all of you, um, we know that you came for a board meeting and you got two public hearings. So, well done. Come on up. Yep. Don't be scared. We are inviting you up. Just if you'll face this way, we're going to take a quick picture because that ought to be worth some extra credit for how long you sat here. So fair warning students, I will tell you some of the ones who students who have come before you, they become one of our best resources after we make this connection and then we get to hear about your story. So thank you for coming. You're welcome to stay. Um I will also with no power or authority release you
138to go home as you've been here forever. Okay. Um, moving on. We don't have any community comments, so we will move on to the approval of minutes. I will entertain a motion. >> I move that we approve the minutes. >> Second the motion. >> Okay. With a motion from board member King and a second from board member Clement. Uh, any discussion? >> All in favor? I >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion passes. Routine business. Superintendent. >> We have two items on the routine business for tonight. A land trust amendment at Parkside Elementary and then a handful of LEAP specific licenses and would recommend the board approve the routine business. >> I I move that we approve the routine business. >> Second. >> Okay. With a motion from board member Wilson and a second from board
139member Peterson. Any discussion? All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion passes. Action items. Superintendent. >> Two action items tonight. Resolution 2025 013. Uh this is correcting a boundary issue in Lehi um from the deed line to the fence line and it's a quick claim deed. Um I don't know if Craig is still here somewhere. Yeah, way in the back. Um, anything else you think I ought to say about that? It just corrects a boundary line and it will help us as our CTE uh building program builds a home and then sells that home. It'll correct that for the future purchaser of those homes. So, would recommend your approval? >> Do I have a motion? >> I move to approve resolution 2025-013, sale of C sale of CTE property in Lehi. Madame Vice President,
140I have a conflict of interest regarding this agenda item. So, I'll abstain from both the discussion and the voting. >> Okay. Do we have a second on board member Lincoln's motion? >> I'll second it. >> Okay. With a motion from board member Lincoln and a second from board member King. Any discussion? All in favor? >> I. >> Motion passes. >> The second resolution tonight is 2025014. This is an agreement between Canyon School District and Alpine School District. Uh many students from the Canyon School District attend Alpine Schools and for many years we have entered into this annual agreement to bust those students from the Sunrest Development down to our schools. Would recommend you approve that. It's already been approved by the Canyons Board, signed by their board president and business administrator and pending your questions.
141Recommend you approve. I will entertain a motion. >> I move that we approve resolution 2025-014 busing contract for Srass Crestrass Development and Draper. >> Second. >> I'll second it >> with a motion from board member Clement and a second for board member King on resolution. Oh, Bon. Thank you. I wrote Bon on resolution 2025-014 besting contract for Land Crest Development and Draper. Any discussion? All in favor? >> I. >> Motion passes. >> Uh, next we have time for board member and superintendent reports and information items. Okay. I have several things. I have had the privilege of going to two cluster meetings which is where um leaders from like the principal and the SEC and the PTA from each of the schools in a cluster come together and we have a meeting and I have been
142so impressed at all of the hard work of our teachers and our administration and I just wanted to say a huge thank you to them for all of their hard work not just this year but we're seeing a lot of growth coming from the previous year which I think is fa fantastic Um, and then I have some other things that I just wanted to talk about. First, I wanted to thank um, Matt Matt Diaz and the staff at Bonavville Elementary who responded promptly and compassionately um, with some unprecedented events at their school. and I just wanted to thank them and tell them that I really appreciate how compassionately and quickly they um they did that. Um I also wanted to take a moment to honor a coach that passed away this last month. Um Coach
143Andy Jacobs at Oram High School. Um, I did not know him personally, but since his passing, I've learned a lot about him and his legacy. And um, that is a huge void in our community, and he will be greatly missed. Um, I have heard amazing stories of he was the coach of the cross country team, the girls cross country, and I've heard some great stories about other cross country teams just being very compassionate and reaching out to that team as they go to their different meets. And I just really appreciate that and I I applaud those those other schools. And I also want to thank Principal Stewart and the faculty who um approached that really hard time once again with so much compassion. They had such a hard start to their school year and um
144they've been doing a really good job and being great leaders. I've seen really amazing leadership um starting in the school year um during times like that. Mr. Rogers says look look for the helpers and there were lots of helpers in all of those situations and I just wanted to say thank you and then I wanted to end on a high note. Um, the PTA carnivals are in full swing right now and there are still some time to go to some of those carnivals and I I fully think that it is a great idea if you have time to go. I've been to a few and they are wonderful. Thank you. >> Okay, I have a couple of things. Um, one on behalf of our secretaries, thank you to everybody who has been pleasant this year
145coming with ID, showing the ID. Um, it's it's usually tough at the beginning of the year for our secretaries. Um, we know that parents are well known and loved, but we have the process processes for a reason. Um, and then with the changes in some of our secondary buildings with the locked doors, just really appreciate the um the community for doing what was asked and keeping our schools safe. So, thank you for that. Um, and then also I want to do a shout out to our band people. They spend um I will give you a very factual number of a bazillion hours over the summer in the hot heat running their shows. Um uh we had several that competed this last weekend and then we also got to see Skyidge's show at their um homecoming
146game and it is remarkable how well everybody looked for being so early in the season. And so um I just wanted to say thank you to all of our um employees as well as our parent volunteers that help make that happen. It's like moving a small city, you know, when you take that whole trailer to where you need to go. So thank you for that experience. Um, and then the last thing I wanted to talk about, we had the Skyidge Lehi matchup last week and um, that's a game for my community. Um, and it's definitely it is a fun game to go to, especially for those of us that are trying to wear orange and purple at the same time. Um, but what I really loved most is watching whether it was purple coming over
147to the orange side or orange going over to the purple side that everything was it was just kind and supportive and I love love our student section. Um, I will die on the hill that my schools do it best. Um, but it was just very fun to watch two communities literally in the same city um, but coming together for this event. So, thank you to our students who made it a great night and uh, did not need law enforcement. So, it was a great homecoming night. Great time to be together and we always love homecoming. >> Want to give a shout out to the Westmore community. They just uh on Thursday night had a wonderful celebration of their 75th anniversary. Um their slogan is all roads lead through Westmore somehow. Uh so many people have
148been uh alumni of this school, worked at this school. Um, it's it's a real part of our community and u I just thank the community for showing up in a big way. We had lots of booths, lots of fun things to do, a timeline um just really hats off to Vic Larson and um Allison Matson and others who really pulled this party together. It was a celebration. >> Okay. Hey, I got to attend the Westmore event and my favorite thing was going through their timelines and seeing old newspaper articles of boundary studies. It's been going on in this community for a very long time. It was fun. Just real quick, uh September is Constitution Month and thanks to all of our teachers, our principles, and those that have celebrated our founding documents and found uh
149creative ways to connect that to students and families and community. Thank you to our veterans um this month, especially those that uh were present in our schools on Patriots Day. Um, and uh, I'm truly grateful for them. And, uh, shout out to our operations team. Whether it's air conditioners going down and then back up and power going down and then coming back up or whether it's uh, two significant security events in our community. Um, whether it's transporting students um, with never enough drivers and and stretching and asking a lot of people. Thank you for our communications team trying to uplift, encourage, and inspire and connect with parents. Um, thank you for those messages. And then I too cluster meetings. We've had two I'm just amazed at some of the positive things that are happening in
150classrooms. Uh, I've made it to many schools um in the first two months on the job and um our teachers are amazing, our students are amazing and our leaders in those schools are doing some amazing work. So, thank you for that. And then I just also wanted to highlight Westmore Elementary. I was there, saw many of you and um a big shout out to Vic Larson and his team. Um the PTA uh people there were just fabulous to talk to and it was just a fun night. So um privileged to serve with all of you and let's keep things moving forward. >> Okay, we do not have need for close session. So I will entertain a motion to adjurnn. >> I move to adjurnn. >> Second. Second >> uh with a motion from board member
151Lincoln and a second from board member Clement. All in favor? >> I Okay, we stand adjourned.