Superintendent spotlights Kearns High unified prom, urges public to fill school satisfaction surveys

Superintendent Orsley, in a recorded message from Kearns High School, described a "unified prom" taking place during the school day that brought together "several hundred students" from special-education and general-education programs and asked the public to complete upcoming school satisfaction surveys.

Orsley said the unified prom gives some special-education students a prom experience they might not otherwise have, while offering "life changing" social interaction for general-education students. "There's an incredible group of several hundred students in there, a mix of our special education students and general education students on what we call a unified prom," Orsley said.

Orsley also asked residents to participate in the district's school satisfaction or community satisfaction surveys, which the superintendent said provide data the district uses to "know and understand fundamentally the ways that we're serving you as a school district and as community schools." "Please take the time to participate in those surveys," Orsley said.

The message noted the unified program is supported by staff, a foundation and "many other donors," and that survey responses may influence policies, processes and differentiation of supports across schools. Orsley emphasized that survey input helps the district adapt services "so it's not a 1 size fits all" approach.

The superintendent framed a broader educational benefit from the event: "the greater benefit is to our general education students who are having a life changing experience in that room right now, interacting with these special education students and learning compassion and kindness," Orsley said.

Orsley closed by thanking the public for supporting Granite School District and reiterating the request that community members complete the forthcoming surveys to provide feedback to the district.