Board weighs single-site CAST model as district weighs equity, costs and assessments
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Summary
District staff recommended analyzing a single-site CAST (accelerated math) model vs. keeping two satellite sites; the board discussed transportation costs (~$40,000/yr), start-up expenses (~$20,000), assessment choices including possible CogAT reinstatement (~$15,000/yr), and equity implications for Title I and other schools.
District staff briefed the Provo Board on options for the CAST accelerated-math pathway on Jan. 27, asking the board to decide whether to pursue a satellite-site model or embed CAST services at neighborhood elementary schools.
Judy Rose, director of elementary teaching and learning, said CAST has evolved into a district accelerated-math pathway and that a reset would not aim to convert it into a gifted-and-talented-only model. She outlined site considerations (classroom availability, the farthest-school distance to potential sites), program costs, and assessment options.
Staff presented estimated recurring costs: transportation for a single satellite site at about $40,000 per year and startup costs roughly $20,000 for materials and training. Rose noted that adding the CogAT (a cognitive assessment previously used as a universal screener) would add approximately $15,000 per year and raised concerns about equitable administration and messaging to families. "We could add the CogAT back in, that's $15,000 a year," staff said, while also noting potential equity and communication problems associated with selection processes.
Board members raised equity concerns about placing a gifted-style program at any single school (for example, whether siting it in a Title I school could lower participation barriers or whether siting it elsewhere would send unintended messages about access). Staff suggested possible alternatives, including embedding pull-out models at neighborhood schools or phasing changes in over time.
Staff recommended that the board expect an action item at a future meeting to decide the model (satellite site vs. school-based services) and urged the board to give staff direction soon so logistics — assessments, transportation, and any needed licensing for tests — can be planned before the next school year. "Judy has to put her team together regardless because we need to provide the support for gifted and talented students," a staff presenter said.
No formal board vote was recorded on CAST during the session; staff will return with location options, more detailed cost and equity analyses, and recommended assessment approaches at a forthcoming meeting.