Board Goals
I have been wanting to revisit the Board Goals ever since I joined the board. That has taken a back seat, mostly due to our focus on getting through COVID and taking care of our facilities. But now I feel it's time to work as board to determine our vision and goals for the next few years. What do we want to improve upon, and how will we do so?
This will be a board decision, so the end result may look different than my own opinion. But in addition to continuing some of the good we are already doing, I would love to focus on:
* Portrait of a Graduate: equipping our students with the academic and interpersonal skills needed to be successful in life. We should increase the proficiency in academic areas, while also teaching our students how to balance the draw of technology with personal interactions. We want our students to think critically, work well on a team, collaborate, and be creative in solving problems.
* Telling our story better: Did you know that in Provo we have a social worker in every school? We are the only district that I know of in Utah to have such a good ratio of social workers. They help our students and families with the challenges they face. A student cannot do well academically if they are struggling mentally, emotionally, or have unmet physical needs. Did you know that we have district Family Liaisons? These wonderful employees are just another layer of working with our families who need support in knowing how to best help their students be successful in our schools.
* Long-term planning in a fiscally-responsible way: We know that we want to continue our efforts to increase teacher pay. Someday we need to finish rebuilding the rest of Timpview (arts wing, cafeteria, administration area, and industrial wing). East Bay Post High needs a larger location. We cannot make decisions that will tie a future board's hands. But we can assess things as they currently are and make projections about the timing and ways we could approach some of these things coming up so that we can set ourselves up for the best way to address them when the time comes.
This will be a board decision, so the end result may look different than my own opinion. But in addition to continuing some of the good we are already doing, I would love to focus on:
* Portrait of a Graduate: equipping our students with the academic and interpersonal skills needed to be successful in life. We should increase the proficiency in academic areas, while also teaching our students how to balance the draw of technology with personal interactions. We want our students to think critically, work well on a team, collaborate, and be creative in solving problems.
* Telling our story better: Did you know that in Provo we have a social worker in every school? We are the only district that I know of in Utah to have such a good ratio of social workers. They help our students and families with the challenges they face. A student cannot do well academically if they are struggling mentally, emotionally, or have unmet physical needs. Did you know that we have district Family Liaisons? These wonderful employees are just another layer of working with our families who need support in knowing how to best help their students be successful in our schools.
* Long-term planning in a fiscally-responsible way: We know that we want to continue our efforts to increase teacher pay. Someday we need to finish rebuilding the rest of Timpview (arts wing, cafeteria, administration area, and industrial wing). East Bay Post High needs a larger location. We cannot make decisions that will tie a future board's hands. But we can assess things as they currently are and make projections about the timing and ways we could approach some of these things coming up so that we can set ourselves up for the best way to address them when the time comes.
Enrollment
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A few years ago, we had an enrollment bubble at Centennial Middle School. The population was about 1250 students. Because of that, some community members have expressed concern with having enough schools for our students, and in particular some have wondered if we need a third middle school soon. That bubble has now moved on to Timpview (they are the spring 2022 freshman and sophomores). Centennial's enrollment for the 2022-23 school year is projected to be around 1050. |
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As we've looked at our elementary enrollment numbers throughout the district, we have noticed that our enrollment overall is trending down. In fact, Spring Creek and two of our west-side elementary schools are down in the 300's and we would like to see them grow in order to best function. Those three principals are currently working on plans to increase their enrollment. They all offer wonderful systems of support to help individual students, and so I think sharing that message with community members is a great place to start.
We will continue to monitor enrollment and watch the growth projections. Yes, there will be growth on the westside, but so far it doesn't look like we will need an additional middle school. There's a chance in the future we will add a wing to Provo High School and possibly add another elementary school in west Provo.
We will continue to monitor enrollment and watch the growth projections. Yes, there will be growth on the westside, but so far it doesn't look like we will need an additional middle school. There's a chance in the future we will add a wing to Provo High School and possibly add another elementary school in west Provo.
Dixon
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In the summer of 2024, the new Shoreline Middle School will be finished. The Dixon students and teachers will move over there for the new school year. The big question is, what do we do with the current Dixon building and site?
I would love to involve the community, particularly those who live in the Dixon neighborhood, in determining the best answer to this question. There are many possibilities, and whatever we decide, I think it's important that it helps Provo City School District with some of the needs we have and that it also serves the neighborhood it is in. This is an important decision, and one that we should take our time on and collaborate with community members. |
High School Pathways
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Our schools offer many opportunities for students to learn and excel in various pathways during their high school experience. This critical time can determine what they do and where they go directly after graduation. I think it's important for every student and his or her family to know and understand all of the pathways available to them. We need to improve our system as a district and at the individual schools to better educate everyone on pathways such as:
- getting an Associates degree while in high school - completing a CTE pathway that will help them understand a subject better and help them apply for college or technical school - AP Scholar - Seal of biliteracy I have already engaged with district leadership on this and am excited to see improvement in this area soon! |
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