The Salt Lake City School District Board of Education voted Dec. 2 to discontinue grades 4–6 magnet services at Washington Elementary, reconfigure Nibley Park from a K–8 to a K–6 school, and approve the long-term closure of Innovations Early College High School, directing staff to develop transition plans for affected students.

Board members discussed each item in separate rounds of public comment and board questions before taking action. For Washington, members urged clearer metrics for magnet placement and a district commitment to annual review of optional and specialized programs. For Nibley Park, staff and Principal Green said enrollment remains strong (recent kindergarten classes and overall enrollment in the high 400s), and that reconfiguration would leave the building among the district's larger elementary sites. For Innovations, staff outlined a transition approach for the roughly 52 students currently enrolled in grades 9–11 and proposed a one-year support package (a dedicated counselor/social worker, tutoring and SEL check-ins) while exploring placement options within comprehensive or alternative schools.

Votes at a glance

- Washington Elementary (discontinue grades 4–6 magnet): Motion approved. Recorded votes included multiple yes votes; one abstention was recorded during the action vote. The board also directed staff to institute annual reviews of district optional/specialized programs.

- Nibley Park (reconfigure K–8 to K–6): Motion approved unanimously in roll call. Staff said enrollment trends and kindergarten growth support the reconfiguration and that Title I and DLI implications would be managed through routine budget and amendment processes.

- Innovations Early College High School (long-term closure): Motion approved; the board directed the superintendent to collaborate with the Innovations School Collaboration Team and School Community Council to develop a transitions plan that preserves counselor continuity and seeks to keep faculty employed in the district where possible. Staff will report back in January (and again in February) with a detailed transition plan and implementation recommendations.

What happens next

The superintendent and staff will work with school leaders, the Innovations SCT and SCC and district counselors to create transition plans for students and staffing. For Innovations, the district proposed a short-term model that could include a dedicated transition counselor/social worker, periodic grade checks, tutoring, and quarterly parent check-ins while identifying placement options at comprehensive or alternative high schools. The board said it expects specific recommendations at its January and February meetings.

District officials said financial savings from school closures are not immediate and depend on staffing attrition and facility costs; staff emphasized that many costs (base administrative positions, specialized services) still must be covered even if a small school closes. Board members expressed concern for students' sense of belonging and stressed that the district should preserve student supports during transitions.

The board also moved several related items to the action agenda for formal approval, including revisions to the strategic plan, a new public education hotline policy, a second student board member process and a technical update to board meeting policy.