[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6376926,"mediaKeyId","2139683-d9eef3e3dee101e1de4758ea0cadeb72","parentId",2139683,"title","Superintendent outlines reorganization of district offices; board asks for details and phased rollout","audioSeconds",1362,"startMs",8799000,"endMs",10161000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2139683-d9eef3e3dee101e1de4758ea0cadeb72&start=8799&end=10161","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2139683-d9eef3e3dee101e1de4758ea0cadeb72/thumbnail_8799000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6376926/Utah/Superintendent-outlines-reorganization-of-district-offices-board-asks-for-details-and-phased-rollout","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6376926-c2da717282af0683aa312d8c0b9673c1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771056269&Signature=JkE1FCrRq9jROaGo9FDUpUTrmpRvN8DY6MnTm8QqqyssEyC-O1DjzWwXJm~aS13tY2KFQvj6~IfkJk1vpxFekiejIhIH~8qK0lyjGYPUhJDOyRRCrcS4pCDbv4Isk1ywYekyr3iUCdu0uTphNdkfuidgNp9508mlgEbO0uVqOFauQdDCJ-vqNep-co-WZslutFEQDtIOd~YVVdlqZ8CP-gPGutbz2zmzlV7vVj-ziVeEBuPt7mW~4Yv490Q-qPWlVzizC7jxmqkdkyVTDHFXOp71ps~nBE0m284MzWYE5sBVhW1o607XhOntcHLztiYpXHItQngteHXBmwOwFbItkA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-01-22T16:31:50Z","article","Superintendent Dr. Grant presented a district reorganization proposal on Jan. 21 that would reorganize several central-office functions to align supports more directly with principals and classroom instruction. The board discussed the proposal and asked for clarifying job descriptions, implementation phases and more community and staff input before final approval.

Dr. Grant said the reorganization is intended to increase coherence and ensure that accountability and support are linked for school leaders. Major elements in the plan included moving the office of educational equity and access, student services and counseling (including nursing and McKinney-Vento supports), and multi-tiered systems of support/social-emotional learning into a re-titled School Leadership and Support department; moving special education and 504 services into the Teaching and Learning department; and creating a chief-of-staff position (reclassifying an open associate-superintendent slot) to focus on implementation and project management.

Dr. Grant said the changes were meant to reduce silos, bring equity work directly into the principal-support structure, and provide clearer lines for school-based supports such as counselors, attendance teams and behavior specialists. In the presentation Dr. Grant said a director-level position for educational equity and a preventive-services framing for MTSS/SEL were under consideration; translation services would move to community relations; school resource officers (SROs) would report directly to the executive director for school leadership because of the school-safety work now required by recent legislation.

Board members asked questions about the practical impact on students and classrooms, the comparison between a chief of staff and an associate superintendent, and whether raising some office-level supervision would increase central-office administrative head count rather than shifting resources to schools. Board Member Ashley Anderson said her top concern was whether the reorganization would deliver direct classroom benefits and whether modest projected savings (about 1.5 FTE reported in the presentation) were sufficient to redirect funds to school staffing. Board Member Bryce Williams and others asked for formal job descriptions and for clear succession planning language if the board approves a chief-of-staff role.

Several board members encouraged broader staff and community engagement before a final vote: members asked for written job descriptions for the proposed chief-of-staff/associate-superintendent role, a phased rollout plan and additional opportunity for principals and teachers to comment. Dr. Grant said she had briefed executive leaders and would solicit additional feedback; she said the proposal was intended to be brought back to the board at a future meeting for further deliberation.

Ending: The board did not vote to adopt the reorganization at the Jan. 21 meeting; members asked for job descriptions, implementation timing, and expanded staff and community input. Dr. Grant said she would provide additional materials and that the issue would appear again on a future agenda for further board consideration.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","SLCSD Board Meeting, January 21, 2025 5:30 PM","oneSentenceSummary","Superintendent Dr. Grant proposed a reorganization of district departments on Jan. 21 to embed student-support and equity work within school leadership and to reassign special education to Teaching and Learning; the board asked for job descriptions, a phased plan and more stakeholder input.","taxTitle","Salt Lake County School Board, Salt Lake School District , Utah School Boards, Utah","taxId",75161,"location","Utah","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6376931,"District presents changes to AMP and magnet ELP identification; leaders say outreach has increased",2364,4961000,7325000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2139683-d9eef3e3dee101e1de4758ea0cadeb72&start=4961&end=7325","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2139683-d9eef3e3dee101e1de4758ea0cadeb72/thumbnail_4961000.jpg","/articles/6376931/Utah/District-presents-changes-to-AMP-and-magnet-ELP-identification-leaders-say-outreach-has-increased","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6376931-27942764fba278a26f2b780fa35ca9d5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771056269&Signature=obb2-fEzpIHllqwB-Llfs1YLEmQNxQJqxcMwSfmCir2wcn1k1WSyj0a70JcQC-s7UgH9cWzAqaLaMivLxcBFZcgZYbiei8C8OBahTqBZjmkH5ryqAaTzU4RxS0EhlqER4OOFX6xgZUJq0SckMdfHGmx6prnuAMQ3OuXU5SA3f6m5HjdV1EpEsDnckdWf2z17ypyAdiqOUF1-c0kbWLIwLgwRTD9C7Fa4YnzWKDIbmpj4FnpZODRlr65X0Z~Pv8RUwA~duJkRlX1rUzKlIGpuKj~HUG3PNqyl7TU-QGqbD3bn~jFFRYuc7MKZ5xlvu7ALQFeRUrnofdhetEzuJKthBQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District staff gave an annual report on Jan. 21 about the Salt Lake City School District’s advanced academics and magnet programs, describing recent identification changes, staffing, and outreach strategies aimed at expanding access for underserved students.

Dr. Alex Parsons, identified in the meeting as the supervisor over gifted and talented, and district staff described a series of identification and scheduling changes for AMP (Advanced Academics and Mentoring Program) and magnet ELP. Parsons said the district now gives the CogAT cognitive abilities test at the end of third grade rather than at the start of fourth so schools can begin fourth-grade services without delay, and that AMP identification shifted from one static composite group to flexible groups by verbal, quantitative and nonverbal domains.

Parsons said each elementary school now has a 0.5 full-time-equivalent (FTE) AMP teacher; the model typically pools a 1.0 FTE teacher across two schools, with AMP groups averaging about 25–30 identified students per grade at some sites. AMP also includes flexible “talent-development” or “open-access” activities such as book clubs and storytelling competitions. Parsons and Dr. Hall said the district is experimenting with widening identification while tightening targeted services so more students can be included in appropriate enrichment.

The presentation included data and examples: Parsons reported AMP identification is intended to reach roughly 5–15% of students per grade at each school with a goal to move toward matching district demographics, and that open-access activities sometimes reach additional students who are not flagged in the district database. Staff also cited examples of increased participation among Hispanic students, English-language learners and low-income students and said they were working to improve counts for Black, Indigenous and Pacific Islander students, numbers that were low enough at some sites to be suppressed in public reporting (counts under nine).

On magnet ELP (full-day magnet programs), staff outlined a change to an area-based invitation model: the district will invite top-scoring students from the magnet school’s feeder area up to the program’s enrollment cap and then populate a wait list, rather than inviting all qualifying students systemwide without enrollment limits. Staff said the change aims to provide parents with timelier enrollment information and to reduce “hang time” when families wait for an invitation.

Staff described the new Edison magnet site and reported that about 79 students were identified with a 75% participation rate during the site’s early roll-out; 58 students were enrolled at the time of the presentation. Staff also described planning to adjust grade configurations (for example a 5–6 split) to reduce disruption for families who are concerned about moving a child only for a single year.

Board members asked for more data and recommended a study session focused on the programs. Board Member Ashley Anderson raised concerns about per-pupil cost differences she had seen in internal materials, saying in some cases district spending per pupil in a magnet classroom was about $2,000 higher than in neighborhood classrooms; staff said class-size differences and program configuration explain many per-pupil cost variances and offered to bring further analysis to a future study session.

Staff emphasized outreach changes: districtwide testing in kindergarten and third grade now happens automatically (parents are notified but don’t need to sign up), and staff said they changed some consent procedures to notify parents of placement and allow opt-out rather than requiring parents to take an active opt-in step. Parsons and AMP teachers described school-level recruitment practices and examples of students who benefited when identified for domain-specific enrichment.

Ending: District staff asked the board to consider a study session so members could review identification, equity of access and cost questions in more depth. Board members agreed to add the topic to a future study session and to accept continued outreach and data reporting from the department.","District staff reported changes to advanced academics (AMP) and magnet/ELP identification, including moving CogAT testing timing, wider domain-based grouping, a 0.5 FTE AMP teacher at each elementary, and steps intended to boost representation of underserved groups; board members asked for more data and a study session.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6376936,"Parents, SCC members demand transparency after West High principal removed",589,968000,1557000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2139683-d9eef3e3dee101e1de4758ea0cadeb72&start=968&end=1557","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2139683-d9eef3e3dee101e1de4758ea0cadeb72/thumbnail_968000.jpg","/articles/6376936/Utah/Parents-SCC-members-demand-transparency-after-West-High-principal-removed","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6376936-d7d1db91f18b2dff7f35fe11bd863bd0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771056269&Signature=g37HgK7gXRk1dESS56V9Z4lixNOm43DlVCZKerwFIaJE64JrEyibnbUkBPpyGbPYXxc1nYGM1BUb3AwJjL6aS9OyU~LhKowspJ9cvSqgN8fwHp0hLFaFX5hJhdw7EclabZ0IYmWidoF2H2-3QmQKl0O9CaGxhD6YXDpOfy9KUHGBbhR7A1j-EZJFUIUEWQ7etZ6At73RArgqnOwkg3cN83jTnOzBr7gYswi3V6aLmlkVrkJwOHfAPHsgz6EynF7CoBTjx2UlqKkqH41ltggAEPzHabiBxdsAWLPd2KKSXqHeBQwOptRK02AMmGqVVsD-uQeU3wPJxKssBiqtXNDY9w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Parents and community members urged the Salt Lake City School District Board of Education on Jan. 21 to explain the district’s decision to remove West High principal Jared Wright and to restore him, saying the abrupt action has fractured the school community.

At the board’s public comment period, Tessa Stewart, a parent of two West High students, said the district has given “such little information” about the removal and that the decision appeared to have been made “in secrecy.” “This really has fractured the community at West,” Stewart said. “It just feels like it’s been done in secrecy and I don’t feel like it’s been done to protect Doctor Wright, but to protect the district.”

Jason Wheeler, another West High parent, told the board he has watched Wright at “so many events” supporting students and staff and said Wright’s community presence matters to the school. “West needs a principal that loves the students, that’s committed to the teachers, the faculty, the staff there,” Wheeler said. He added that while he understood there may be district information parents do not have, he could not reconcile that with what he has seen of Wright’s leadership.

Ran Zamir, who said he serves on West’s School Community Council, said the SCC learned about the principal’s removal only after the district announced it and asked the board for more explanation about process and communication. “As an SCC, we were not aware of any due process before we got the abrupt notice,” Zamir said. He told the board the change came at a time when West was preparing for a rebuild and “this move is taking West backwards.” He urged the board to “reinstate or bring back doctor Wright to West.”

Board Chair Brian Jensen and other board members did not take action on personnel matters during public comment. At the start of public comment the board reminded speakers that state law generally prevents the board from taking action on matters raised during public comment, though staff may be directed to follow up with speakers.

The speakers said petitions and local organizing reflected community concern: Stewart said a petition circulating in the community had about 1,500 signatures. Ran Zamir and other commenters asked for clearer, earlier communication from district leadership about personnel actions that affect individual schools.

The board did not announce any personnel findings or changes during the meeting. Superintendent Dr. Grant and staff were present later in the agenda for separate items; board members said they would accept written concerns and that district staff could follow up as appropriate.

The public-comment session was limited by the board’s rules (three minutes per speaker and a 15-minute total public-comments window), and the board did not put any personnel items raised there on the meeting’s action agenda.

The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled on the district calendar; members of the public who asked for follow up said they expected district staff to respond in writing or by direct outreach to the SCC and parent group organizers.

Ending: The speakers’ requests and the board’s limited public response leave the central dispute over Wright’s status unresolved in public minutes. Parents and SCC members requested clearer explanations and called for restoration; the board did not lift personnel confidentiality or take an official personnel action in public.","Three West High parents and a school community council member urged the Salt Lake City School District Board of Education to explain the abrupt removal of West High principal Jared Wright and to restore him, saying the move fractured the school community and that parents have received little information.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6376922,"Votes at a glance: Salt Lake City School District board — Jan. 21, 2025",0,33000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2139683-d9eef3e3dee101e1de4758ea0cadeb72&start=33&end=33","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2139683-d9eef3e3dee101e1de4758ea0cadeb72/thumbnail_33000.jpg","/articles/6376922/Utah/Votes-at-a-glance-Salt-Lake-City-School-District-board-Jan-21-2025","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6376922-c3b5a5d6a30564696d1e3a23a4011b9a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771056269&Signature=A1SrDem6QpecM~FjNkFURVScNuUgKDp9o1BQZZT~6ZZSOs-ucl~iGpKpvErIBGzyOyx425TPjl9ieljE5xy3inFKQ71Gc49mmK54Y8jaF60Wj9QDuMLslDKmF8HjwKpX4hiEOQ3knbRb4MvKGLmIw4t4plT1WaiNz28kZD6jOqGxQBaZ418C75cNcPB-sRPZ2PF-e897-xfK7BpgbNASfFxDB15cQozDHeK15fYqlBkPVMrOp9vONRRkzMYk4Jg-~z2qfKH6Tqr4vBNFwdb1IxE1U4V3cb31u3WQcrncN~HgmwkJGxAXgUsueWeFU0E0FYWTXLHAbBidCYDLfVY98w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Salt Lake City School District Board of Education took several formal votes at its Jan. 21, 2025 meeting. Below are the recorded motions, vote tallies and short notes about next steps.

1) Motion: Enter closed executive session to discuss the character, professional competence, or physical or mental health of an individual, and pending or reasonably imminent litigation.
- Motion (text as stated in meeting): “that the board go into close[d] executive session to discuss the character, professional competence, or physical or mental health of an individual, and pending a reasonably imminent litigation.”
- Mover/Second: motion was made and seconded on the record (mover not named in roll-call segment); roll-call vote recorded as unanimous yes by listed board members.
- Vote tally: Bryce Williams — yes; Charlotte Fife Jefferson — yes; Ashley Anderson — yes; Nate Salazar — yes; Moham (Mohamed) Dibade — yes; Bridal Jensen — yes; Amanda Longwell — yes.
- Outcome: approved. Board entered closed session and announced it would return by 5:30 (per meeting notes) and later reconvened in public following the closed session.

2) Motion: Approve consent agenda with exceptions moved to action (consent items approved except items 2A and 5 moved to action agenda).
- Mover: Ashley Anderson.
- Vote tally (roll call): Charlotte Fife Jefferson — yes; Ashley Anderson — yes; Nate Salazar — yes; Moham Dibade — yes; Ryan (Bryce) Jensen — yes; Amanda Longwell — yes; Bryce Williams — yes.
- Outcome: approved; items 2A (Dec. 3 minutes) and item 5 (Joint Educator Evaluation Committee member request) were moved to the action agenda for separate consideration.

3) Motion: Approve Dec. 3, 2024 meeting minutes (item 2A pulled earlier).
- Mover: (board member moved and seconded during action agenda; motion recorded) — motion passed.
- Vote tally (roll call): Bridal Jensen — yes; Amanda Longwell — yes; Bryce Williams — yes; Charlotte Fife Jefferson — yes; Ashley Anderson — yes; Nate Salazar — yes; Moham (Mohamed) — yes.
- Outcome: minutes approved.

4) Motion: Approve Joint Educator Evaluation Committee (JEEC) member request (item 5).
- Mover: motion to accept (mover noted in discussion, vote recorded); board member Amanda Longwell voiced concerns about representativeness but the motion passed.
- Vote tally (roll call): Amanda Longwell — yes; Bryce Williams — yes; Charlotte Fife Jefferson — yes; Ashley Anderson — yes; Nate Salazar — yes; Moham — yes; Bridal Jensen — yes.
- Outcome: approved; staff noted board direction to consider broader representation and review membership in future.

5) Motion: Move board meeting structure/study-session proposal to action and adopt two-business-meetings-per-month model with study sessions before one meeting; adopt board committee assignments (as amended).
- Mover: Ashley Anderson (motion to send to action and later motion to adopt study-session model and committee roster); second recorded as Charlotte Jefferson in earlier procedural vote.
- Vote tally when adopted: Bryce Williams — yes; Charlotte Fife Jefferson — yes; Ashley Anderson — yes; Nate Salazar — yes; Moham Dibade — yes; Bridal Jensen — yes; Amanda Longwell — yes.
- Outcome: approved. Board will begin scheduling study sessions before a business meeting starting in February and adopted committee assignments subject to minor corrections recorded in the meeting.

6) Motion: Return to closed executive session at the end of the meeting (to discuss personnel and pending litigation) and adjourn immediately after.
- Mover: motion recorded and seconded; roll-call vote recorded as unanimous yes by listed board members.
- Vote tally: Charlotte Fife Jefferson — yes; Ashley Anderson — yes; Moham — yes; Bridal Jensen — yes; Amanda Longwell — yes; Bryce Williams — yes; Nate Salazar — yes.
- Outcome: approved; board returned to closed session per its stated motion and adjourned upon its conclusion.

Notes: Vote tallies above match roll-call statements recorded in the meeting transcript. Where the transcript did not give a speaker’s full name for the mover of a procedural motion that was not separately named, the entry below notes the mover as “not specified” or cites the speaker who announced the motion in the record. The board recorded votes by roll call for all motions listed here.

Ending: District staff will follow up on action items that were moved to future meetings (committee assignments, meeting structure implementation, JEEC representation and requested study sessions), and the superintendent was asked to provide additional information on the proposed reorganization at a future meeting.","Summary of formal actions taken at the Jan. 21 Salt Lake City School District Board of Education meeting, including motions to enter executive session, consent agenda votes, committee assignments and meeting-structure approvals.","actionData","errors"]

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Superintendent outlines reorganization of district offices; board asks for details and phased rollout

District presents changes to AMP and magnet ELP identification; leaders say outreach has increased

Parents, SCC members demand transparency after West High principal removed

Votes at a glance: Salt Lake City School District board — Jan. 21, 2025