Jordan board narrows annual priorities, assigns facilities and executive committee tasks

The Jordan Board of Education used its Feb. 11 study session to update board priorities for the coming year and to assign committee work on facilities and advisory committees.

Board members each listed top priorities; common themes included improving multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) especially at the secondary level, enhancing special education services and the special-education experience, reducing teacher workload, clarifying boundary and long-term building-planning processes (with a view toward reducing busing costs), strengthening training and outreach for school community councils, and supporting nonlicensed support staff (including language and career-advancement supports).

Several board members urged more emphasis on MTSS as both an academic and behavioral framework. Associate Superintendent Mike Anderson described current district tools used to identify students needing support, including an early-warning system (Panorama software) that triangulates attendance, academics, behavior and mental-health screening to flag students who may need additional intervention. Board members discussed tier 2 and tier 3 service gaps at secondary schools where teacher caseload and contact patterns make individualized intervention more challenging.

Committee and facilities assignments - Facilities: The board confirmed that the Facilities Committee should continue work it had been assigned, including identifying trigger points for boundary changes (particularly for Harriman High School), reviewing district properties for potential surplus designations, and developing a long-term building plan. Scott Thomas (facilities) and demographer Scott Feston were referenced as staff resources to support that work. Board members discussed West Jordan High School remodeling and agreed the facilities department will proceed with immediate bidding for initial phases (portable moves, parking-lot preparation) and return construction bids and project timelines to the board.

- Watch list: The board asked facilities to develop a strategy and priorities for schools on the demographer’s watch list (schools with enrollment trends that warrant monitoring) and to report back with recommended actions and timelines.

- JPAC and LIAC (advisory committees): The board voted that the executive committee draft concise mission statements and purpose language for the Jordan Parent Advisory Committee (JPAC) and the Licensed Educator Advisory Committee (LIAC). The motion directing the executive committee to write the statements passed by voice vote. Board members discussed the historical role of LIAC — primarily as a channel for focused board-requested feedback rather than continuous district-wide communication — and asked staff and the executive committee to craft a clear, brief purpose and operating parameters the board can approve.

Operational priorities and follow-up Board members suggested specific follow-ups, including: a deep dive on fundraising policy; evaluation of teacher prep/planning time; a review of the district’s cell-phone policy and its effects at middle school; consideration of targeted language and career-support programs for nonlicensed staff; and a relook at boundary and transportation models to identify cost-savings. Several members proposed an in-house independent auditor (reporting directly to the board) to provide recurring, board-directed operational reviews; that idea was discussed but not formally assigned.

Other actions The board approved a staff-supported outreach to help cities recruit crossing guards (an item discussed by board members as a public-safety and operational need) and received notices about upcoming USBA regional meetings and student-day-on-the-hill events.

What’s next: Facilities staff will present trigger-point criteria, a watch-list strategy for identified schools, and project timelines (including West Jordan remodel phases) to the board. Executive committee will return JPAC/LIAC mission statements for board review.