Steve, a district staff member, told the Washington County School District board at its Feb. 24 work session that the district’s recently approved Get Them Talented grant will fund district learning events, teacher stipends, testing windows and partnerships this school year.

The district will pay teacher stipends for a gifted-and-talented endorsement course offered at a discounted rate for employees, and will fund a parent-and-teacher half-day workshop after spring break led by a consultant (named in the presentation as Lisa Vandermeid). The grant also supports Lego League teams at participating schools and supplies for the Riverside and Diamond Valley magnet schools, Steve said.

Steve said testing and identification are the largest single expense item. He described a clarified testing cadence: referral testing in the fall, a universal first-grade screener in January, and summer makeup windows. “We’re gonna test in the fall. That’s referral testing,” he said, adding that first-grade universal screening moved to January to give students more readiness time.

The grant will also pay for district-supported STEM instruction at Utah Tech Prep Academy for some sixth-through-eighth grade students and for gifted coaches and district activities targeted at intermediate (middle) grades. Steve said the district is trying to make intermediate offerings more uniform and to provide “camaraderie and kinship” activities for identified gifted students.

Board members asked about travel support and plans to reach families in outlying communities; Steve said limited budget means large expenditures such as bus subsidies are not feasible and that the district is looking to use regular school “win time” (targeted intervention time) to deliver services and reduce travel burdens. He said identification results will be posted in PowerSchool and parents of first graders who score at the top level will be invited to apply to Riverside or Diamond Valley magnet schools.

The presentation noted a summer program partnership with Utah Tech Prep Academy, which offers a STEM-based summer program for sixth through eighth graders; Steve estimated about 90 students participate in the summer program and described the program as a three-year sequence.

The board did not take formal action on the item; staff said they will proceed with the roll-out described and continue communication with parents and principals.