Principals from area elementary and middle schools reported end-of-year celebrations, staffing changes, summer-school results and a push for early kindergarten registration at the Virgin Valley Community Education Advisory Board meeting on June 26.

Why it matters: principals said steady enrollment and predictable student counts are critical to staffing decisions and program planning. They described programs and small, targeted incentives they said helped boost attendance and learning gains during the 2024–25 school year.

What JL Boller and Virgin Valley principals reported
Chris Jenkins, principal of JL Boller Elementary School, outlined plans for crossing-guard support and community volunteers to improve student arrival safety. He said community donations have funded gates across the parking lot and credited local volunteers and businesses for help. Jenkins described classroom and schoolwide incentives that he said improved attendance and engagement, and he thanked local partners for supporting school projects.

Matt Bennett, principal of Virgin Valley Elementary School, urged parents to register kindergartners early so the district can allocate classrooms and staff. “Please don’t wait until August to register your kindergartners,” Bennett said. He described a large year-to-year change in kindergarten registration at his site—he said the clerk had 53 registered at one point and the school finished the year with about 96—and warned that late registration makes it difficult to assign teachers and rooms before the August start.

Attendance, summer programming and special education
Bennett told the board his school’s chronic absenteeism was the lowest in the valley last year at 14.9% but rose to about 18% for 2024–25; he said he planned to use roughly $4,000 of a requested allotment for attendance incentives such as popcorn parties or gift-card drawings. JL Boller’s principal described a summer program run with Eureka: “We had 85 on the rolls and regularly about 55 to 65 kids every day,” and he said participating students showed gains in sight words, phonics and math measures.

Both principals and other speakers noted growth in students identified for autism services. Chris Jenkins said his site received an autism unit midyear and that JL Boller will open a first-through-fifth-grade autism unit; he said licensed teachers were hired to staff those rooms.

Staffing and facilities
Principals said most teacher positions are filled; several said they are holding off on hiring some aide positions pending final budget counts after the district’s official count day near Labor Day. JL Boller’s principal thanked Scott Sessions’ air-handler group and local donors for funding gate construction for improved campus safety.

Ending
Principals asked board members and staff to publicize kindergarten registration and to help principals present to council or technical-review meetings in advance of votes that affect schools. Matt Bennett said the schools will work with clerks to ensure families have registration information online and at community sites.