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Salt Lake City School Board approves district reorganization after weeks of debate
Summary
The board voted to approve Superintendent Dr. Grant's reorganization of central office departments after a contentious discussion about staffing, equity functions and how assessment responsibilities are organized.
Salt Lake City School District trustees voted to approve a plan to reorganize district departments that Superintendent Dr. Grant proposed, following more than an hour of discussion and public comment. The reorganization passed on a roll-call vote after board members raised questions about supervision spans, equity functions and the placement of assessment staff.
Board members said the reorganization is intended to align responsibilities, place assessment "in the data and systems" side of the district and embed equity work across operational leadership rather than isolate it in a single standalone office. "My intent is to strengthen equity action by embedding it in core leadership work," Dr. Grant said during the discussion.
Opposition on the board focused on process and timing. Board Member Ashley Anderson said she had received dozens of staff messages asking the board to delay approval until the district could provide additional analysis and outside examples of similar reorganizations. "We have spent 48 total minutes discussing this proposal in public meetings," Anderson said, urging more time for review and for answers to staff concerns about reporting lines and costs.
Supporters argued the district needs the new structure to move work forward. Board Member Amanda Longwell, who moved the reorganization to action, said the superintendent and cabinet had developed the chart and the district should implement it so the administration can begin operating under the new structure.
Superintendent Dr. Grant said the reorganization places the assessment operations that support testing, rostering and data systems into Information Systems to allow those staff to access the technical permissions they need; evaluation and data-interpretation functions would remain within school leadership and performance.
The board approved the reorganization in a roll-call vote. Board members who announced their votes during the meeting included Amanda Longwell (yes), Charlotte Fife Jefferson (yes), Ashley Anderson (no), Mohammed Baid (yes) and Bridal Jensen (yes). The approved chart also removes one executive-level equity title and embeds equity duties across school leadership, a change the superintendent said would not eliminate equity work but make it part of leaders' core responsibilities.
Board members and staff agreed to follow up: several directors offered to return to the board with clarifying documentation about reporting lines, supervisory spans and any downstream staffing decisions. Dr. Grant and board leadership also said they will keep lines of communication open with staff who expressed concern.
The board approved the reorganization at the March 4 meeting and directed staff to implement the change and to return with any required follow-up.
