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Canyons School District board approves move of Life Skills Academy to Bella Vista building
Summary
On July 7, 2026, the Canyons School District Board of Education voted unanimously to relocate the Life Skills Academy and Entrada into the Bella Vista building for the 2027–28 school year, citing space needs, crossover services, and improved transportation access.
The Canyons School District Board of Education voted unanimously July 7 to transition the Life Skills Academy and the Entrada program into the Bella Vista building for the 2027–28 school year.
Tom Sherwood, the district’s director of high schools, told the board during a third reading that faculty from both programs visited the site and district staff held meetings to plan logistics. “I see this as a win, win, win,” Sherwood said, listing a permanent home for Life Skills Academy, additional space for Entrada and Diamond Ridge, and crossover services that could allow some Life Skills students to pursue credit-bearing courses and, potentially, an adult diploma.
In public comment before the vote, patron Betty Shaw praised the program and staff, recounting a graduation moment that illustrated students’ growth. “She says, ‘stay strong, babe,’” Shaw said, describing how a student comforted a principal during a ceremony and underscoring the program’s impact on students and families.
Board members asked about operations and site logistics; Sherwood said the Bella Vista site is close to public transportation and noted staff from Entrada, including assistant principal and director Mark Mataya, had expressed support for the location. A board member summarized early design work with architects, saying interior spaces will be divided with shared crossover areas (cafeteria, gym and select classrooms), while parking and bus-drop configurations remain the largest outstanding planning tasks.
A motion to approve the transition was made, seconded and approved by voice vote. The record shows the motion passed unanimously; individual recorded roll-call votes were not provided in the meeting transcript.
The board also approved a consent agenda that included minutes from June 16, hire and termination reports, purchasing bids, June financial reports and the annual fraud risk assessment required by the Office of the State Auditor. Those consent items were adopted by unanimous voice vote.
After the votes the chair said staff and board comments would be foregone and adjourned the meeting.
