Board Meeting Summary

June 19, 2018 | Regular Session

Consent Items

There was not a quorum of board members present at the meeting so  consent items could not be approved. The board is holding a Special Regular Session on Thursday, June 22, at 6 p.m. to approve consent items, review policies for posting and approval, and vote on the FY18 Revised Budget and the FY19 Preliminary Budget.

Student Report

School board student representative Steven Mitchell said he plans to poll students this fall on topics the board is discussing so he can accurately reflect student opinions.

Communications Report

Communications Director Melinda Colton reported PCSD Chat will be used this summer to keep Summer School parents updated. She said traffic on the district’s social media channels continues to increase and she is posting frequently throughout the summer months. Facebook followers increased by 37 percent last month and page views increased by 49 percent. Colton is participating in a virtual Social Media Camp next week to stay current in the latest education trends around using social media as a key communications tool.

Superintendent Report

Interim Superintendent David Gomez thanked Colton for providing clear communications on some of the sensitive issues that recently occurred. He reported that he talks with incoming Superintendent Jill Gildea weekly and should know her timeline for arriving in Park City in the coming weeks. Superintendent Gomez also reported the district had a large pool of candidates for the new secondary assistant principal positions, which included a 50/50 mix of internal and external candidates.

Proposed SR 248 Tunnel

Julia Collins, Senior Transportation Planner for Park City, and Rob Sunderlage, an associate with Horrocks Engineers, reviewed three design options for a proposed pedestrian and bike tunnel planned under SR 248. The proposed tunnel will be in front of Park City High and LDS Seminary. It will replace the existing signalized crosswalk. Collins said the tunnel will provide for a higher level of safety and connectivity for students as well as the community at-large, and will improve the overall delay and vehicle congestion on Kearns Boulevard. She aid the city has conducted a SR2 48 corridor improvement study, gathered community input, collaborated with UDOT, the LDS Seminary, and area residents, completed traffic analysis, and continues ongoing discussions with the school district.

Board Vice President JJ Ehlers said she will poll the board this week to determine their preferred option. Ehlers also asked the city to look into the feasibility of adding electric charging stations during the construction process of the tunnel.

City officials will meet with the board again in August to request easements and review the memo of understanding. Park City plans to finalize the design this summer, with construction commencing in Spring 2019.

Public Comment

–Micaela Carriel, a social studies teacher at Park City High and the women’s soccer coach, expressed appreciation to the board for adding 30 paid days to its maternity leave. She said it makes her feel valued as an educator. She asked the board to review the wording so teachers who are expecting during Summer or Winter Recess can take their maternity leave from their contracted days.

–Melissa Perry, a math teacher at Park City High, thanked the board for its consideration of offering 30 paid days to the district’s maternity leave for mothers and fathers. She said it will help reduce the financial burden on teachers.

Budget Hearing

The board will meet Thursday, June 21, to vote on the FY18 Revised Budget, and the FY19 Preliminary Budget.

Budget Hearing Public Comment  

Jim Tedford, a retired teacher and community member, said given the city and county tax increases, he has concerns about the budget and proposed tax increase from the school district. He questioned why the board is hiring three more assistant principals at its secondary schools. He also expressed concern about the salary and benefits the board is paying the new Superintendent.