Month: November 2018

The Park City School District Board of Education is now accepting applications to fill the District 3 board member vacancy. Board member Petra Butler is resigning from the board, effective Dec. 31.

The board, which will appoint someone to fill the vacancy, will accept applications until Jan. 7 at 6 p.m. The individual selected will serve the remainder of Butler’s term which ends December 31, 2020.

Applications can be emailed to President Caplan at acaplan@pcschools.us.  Interviews will be conducted during the Jan. 15 board meeting which begins at 4 p.m. The application and additional information can be found here.

Board member Butler represents the board on the Chamber of Commerce, Comprehensive Guidance Committee, Summit County Wellness Alliance, Latino Advocacy Committee, and the Park City Education Association. “Petra was an integral part in developing the district’s Strategic Plan, selecting our new Superintendent, and advocating for improving the safety and security in our schools. She has always had the best interests of our students and employees at the center of all she does. Her experience and knowledge will be greatly missed,” Caplan said.

Petra Butler Resigns from Board

Board President Andrew Caplan announced the resignation of District 3 board member Petra Butler, effective Dec. 31, 2018. Butler represents the board on the Chamber of Commerce, Comprehensive Guidance Committee, Summit County Wellness Alliance, Latino Advocacy Committee, and the Park City Education Association. “Petra was an integral part in developing the district’s Strategic Plan, selecting our new Superintendent, and advocating for improving the safety and security in our schools. She has always had the best interests of our students and employees at the center of all she does. Her experience and knowledge will be greatly missed,” Caplan said.

The board will accept applications to fill the District 3 vacancy until Jan. 7, 2019, at 6 p.m. Applications can be emailed to President Caplan at acaplan@pcschools.us.  Interviews will be conducted during the Jan. 14, 2019, board meeting which begins at 4 p.m. The application and additional information can be found here.

PCEA Report

PCEA submitted written comments to the board welcoming Kara Hendrickson, the new board member elected to fill JJ Ehlers’ seat in District 4. PCEA also applauded the district’s efforts to eliminate class rank at the high school, convene an assessment committee, and include educator voices in the education master planning process. The association also reported that safety is still a concern at the high school, and that it is disappointed with Question 1 not passing during the election.

Board Member Reports

– President Caplan expressed appreciation to the community for its generous support of school programs and students during the recent Live PC Give PC event. This year, the event raised the highest amount every given to schools.

– Vice President JJ Ehlers thanked the Superintendent for her recent presentation to the Sunrise Rotary members.

Superintendent Report

Superintendent Jill Gildea reviewed the history and framework for implementation of standards-based learning (SBL). SBL is a method of providing feedback that is purely academic in nature and a more accurate reflection of what the student actually knows and can do. This allows teachers to identify better what support students need to reach their potential. SBL is currently used at Ecker Hill Middle and report cards reflect the philosophy. More than half of Treasure Mountain Junior High teachers are using an SBL scale to assess learning. Individual teachers and department at Park City High are also using SBL scales, and elementary schools are exploring the use of SBL. The district is creating a task force to define what reporting looks like in all schools (K-12). The district will also provide SBL training for school teams and is assisting schools, as needed.

Education Master Plan Update

Christine Richman, GSBS consultant, updated the board about the education master plan Community Open House and Future of Learning Summit. She said the Open House was well attended with many people who have not been involved in previous master planning activities. The all-day Summit resulted in a draft of guiding principles for education in PCSD. She said once the Steering Committee has an understanding and consensus about the education approach of the district, then it can begin to look at aligning facilities with that educational blueprint.

Board Approves Open Enrollment at McPolin Elementary

For the 2019-20 school year, the board approved closing schools to open enrollment, with the exception of McPolin Elementary. Students living outside district boundaries will only be eligible to enroll at McPolin. Parents are reminded that McPolin is an all Spanish dual-immersion school.

Board Goals

The board approved goals in the areas of communication, governance, education master planning, analysis, organization, and safety. The board will provide updates on three of the goals each month.

Audit Report

Park City School District accepted the audit report from Squire & Company, who issued an unmodified opinion in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. An unmodified opinion means the district’s independent auditing firm expressed an opinion that financial statements are in accordance with applicable state and federal financial reporting frameworks.

Policies for Posting

– Policy 3000: Shared Decision Making

– Policy 5010: Inventory Control and Use of Equipment

– Policy 5025: Student Transportation for School or District Activities

– Policy 7031: Social Media (new policy)

– Policy 7160: Orderly Termination

– Policy 9025: Student Wellness (board amended to include “schools may only use non-food based rewards for student behavior, achievement, and celebrations.”)

Patron Comments

Case Schemmer, an eighth-grade student at Treasure Mountain Junior High, spoke on his personal experience with standards-based grading scales.