Salt Lake City School District
Date: April 20, 2026
To: All Administrators
From: Christy Hart, Director of Finance
Subject: Retirement Celebrations
As the end of the year is quickly approaching, a reminder that public funds may not be used for retirement or other employee celebrations. This includes all school or district funds, including school discretionary funds. Faculty Sunshine funds or other donations may be used.
Dear Principals,
In our ongoing effort to ensure all students receive the support they need to thrive, we are pleased to introduce a clear and supportive procedure for requesting additional resources that will govern all future requests for additional resources. This process is grounded in the principles of equity, student-centered decision-making, and shared accountability. Your voice and leadership are essential in helping us meet the diverse and evolving needs of our school communities.
Purpose of the Process
To establish a transparent, data-informed, and equity-driven system through which school leaders may formally request additional resources based on identified student needs and strategic priorities.
Guiding Principles
Petition Submission Process
Step 1: Review school data that serves as the basis for request
| School Data Point | Who to contact if you have questions about accuracy or need additional clarity |
| Academic Performance | Dr. Patrick Jefferies, Supervisor, Data & Assessment or Dr. Christine Marriott, Director of Title I and School Improvement |
| Behavior Trends | Dr. Allison Martin, Director of SEL & Preventive Services |
| Enrollment Patterns | Sam Quartz, Chief Information Officer |
| Staffing Ratios | Logan Hall, Executive Director, Human Resources or his designee |
| Facility Needs | Isaac Astill, Executive Director, Auxiliary Services |
Step 2: Draft a resource petition
Step 3: Area Director review
District Review Process
Step 4: Cabinet-Level review
After the deadline, a cross-functional Cabinet committee will evaluate requests using the Weighted Resource Allocation Formula (see below) and determine feasibility and alignment with district-wide initiatives.
Step 5: Communication of decision
Weighted Resource Allocation formula
To ensure fairness and transparency, each petition will be evaluated using the following scoring system (Total Possible: 100 points):
| Factor | Weight | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Student Enrollment and Demographics | 25 points | Proportion of high-need students (e.g., FRL, ELL, SPED) |
| Academic & Behavioral Data | 20 points | Evidence of gaps in achievement, chronic absenteeism, or behavior challenges |
| Access Impact | 20 points | Degree to which resource addresses disparities or underserved student groups |
| Alignment with Strategic Goals | 15 points | How well the request aligns with district/school improvement priorities |
| Stakeholder Engagement | 10 points | Involvement of parents, staff, and community in needs assessment and planning |
| Feasibility & Sustainability | 10 points | Practicality of implementation and potential for sustained impact |
Minimum threshold for consideration: 65 points
Implementation & Monitoring
Step 6: Review & Feedback
Relevant staff will review resource allocation with building staff.
Step 6: Resource deployment
Work collaboratively with the assigned district departments (e.g., HR, Finance, Facilities, SPED) to implement the resource as planned.
Step 7: Evaluation & reporting
Ongoing support and improvement
Supporting Tools
Final Note
We thank you for your dedication to equity, excellence, and innovation. This process is not simply about resource distribution—it is about recognizing the unique stories of your schools and responding with meaningful support. Together, we will ensure every student in Salt Lake City School District receives the opportunities they deserve to learn, grow, and succeed.
For questions or additional support with your resource petition, please contact your Area Director or the Office of School Leadership & Support.
SmartBoard Replacement Information
After a thorough year-long review, including feedback from school administration, teachers, technical evaluation, and cost/benefit analysis, it has been determined that we will move forward with the following interactive devices in the classroom.
ViewSonic Interactive Boards at the Elementary Level
Deciding Factors
Installation plan
·IT will work with school administration to determine which classrooms are updated first with as little classroom disruption as possible.
·Installation will take a coordination with district electricians and installers.
·We are currently working on creating that plan with Auxiliary services and will send out that plan once it is finished.
·Goal is to replace about 150 boards this year
·The rest of the boards are being replaced over the next 3-5 years.
·The goal is to begin installation in October/November.
Budget Needed
·Schools will not need to budget for this as it will be paid out of the district capital technology outlay funds.
Training
·School technicians are being trained within the next few weeks so there is onsite support.
·IT will work with school administration to develop training opportunities as boards are installed in the school
·IT will work with Teaching & Learning and School Leadership and Support to develop a comprehensive training plan going forward.
Epson Interactive Projectors (still in testing phase) at Secondary Level, with optional ViewSonic Interactive Board option
Deciding Factors
Installation plan
·These devices have already been installed in some classrooms in the district
·IT has reached out to high school principals to receive the names of a few teachers willing receive these new projectors for additional testing.
·After final testing is completed, installation will take place over the next 3-5 years.
Budget Needed
·Schools will not need to budget for this as it will be paid out of the district capital technology outlay funds.
Training
·School technicians will be trained on the boards for onsite support.
·IT will work with school administration to develop training opportunities as boards are installed in the school
·IT will work with Teaching & Learning and School Leadership and Support to develop a comprehensive training plan going forward.
Last year we piloted the Sherpa AI absence tracking tool with 11 schools, free of charge. The pilot generated strong interest across the district and many schools are eager to use the tool to support attendance efforts.
However, because the cost of implementing Sherpa AI exceeds $50,000 we must go through a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) process. This ensures transparency and gives qualified vendors the opportunity to submit bids for the services we are seeking such as timely and improved communication with families regarding student absences, robust data tracking, and more.
This RFP process typically takes about 10 weeks to complete. During this time, please continue your efforts to connect with families of absent students. If you need support, I would be happy to join you and your attendance team in a meeting to generate ideas to continue to improve attendance efforts at your sites.
In the coming days, I’ll also be showing you how to access your attendance data on PowerSchool Analytics and Insights. This will allow you and your attendance team to begin identifying students who are chronically absent and to start developing targeted interventions. We’ll also begin thinking about systems and supports that can be put in place to better serve the student groups most impacted by chronic absenteeism.
As always, if you have any questions, please reach out any time.
Summary:
We have a new list of approved textbooks for 7-12 core social studies/history courses. When ordering textbook materials for social studies/history courses, please select from the approved list for the core classes:
Expectations for Implementation:
Keywords: text books, social studies, history, approved materials, 7-12
Summary:
We have a new approved textbooks Health I and Health II courses. The district is purchasing the teacher materials and a classroom set of student materials for every district Health teacher. Subsequent replacement will be the responbility of the school.
If schools choose to purchase online student licenses, they may do so from their site funds.
The books are:
Books are purchased through Mountain State Schoolbook Depository.
Rationale:
H.B. 233 — School Curriculum Amendments prohibits local education agencies (i.e., public schools) from using or allowing health-related instruction or materials provided by entities that perform elective abortions. That includes materials created, funded, or donated by those providers, as well as any instruction delivered by their employees or volunteers.
SLCSD had approved several presentations from providers that are no longer permissible. The new Health curriculum will help support teachers in designing their instruction in Health I and Health II.
Expectations for Implementation:
Keywords: text books, health, curriculum, approved materials, 7-12
As we kick off the new school year, we’d like to highlight a few important IT procedures.
After-Hours and Weekend IT Support
If you experience an IT issue outside regular hours, please submit an IT help ticket (https://helpdesk.slcschools.org). When we receive a report of a network or system outage in the evening, it will be addressed the following morning. If the request comes on the weekend, the problem will be worked on within 24-48 hours, though holiday support times may vary.
If you are having an activity after hours or on weekends relying on the computers or network and would like system support, please schedule that with me at least two weeks in advance. Be prepared to provide an account number for potential technician overtime costs.
Monthly System Maintenance
To ensure the smooth operation of our IT systems, regular maintenance is necessary. We’ve established a maintenance schedule for the 2025-26 school year to minimize disruptions for staff and students.
Maintenance will occur on designated weekends each month, during which intermittent system outages may be expected. We will send out notifications each month detailing the affected systems.
The planned maintenance window is typically from 5 pm on Friday through Saturday. Occasionally, maintenance may continue into Sunday. Critical updates may be applied outside this planned maintenance schedule.
Please review the maintenance dates below and plan accordingly.
IT Help Tickets
When requesting support, please remember to use the IT help ticket system (https://helpdesk.slcschools.org). Tickets submitted through this system are prioritized over emails or phone calls. Utilizing the help ticket system allows us to better analyze data and improve our service.
We wish you a successful start of the school year.
Best regards,
| Sam Quantz |
| Chief Information Officer |
| Salt Lake City School District |
| Office: 801.578.8329 |
Good Afternoon Administrators!
I'd like to extend an extra special welcome to all new administrators joining SLCSD this year. I am an education specialist in HRS, and the focus of my job is pre, new, and early educators. This email is to explain the process regarding pre-educators that spend time in our district.
We LOVE hosting student teachers, practicum students and interns! Especially since we have wonderful educators and students to learn from. SLCSD receives requests from several of our state colleges and universities as well as some online programs to place their students in our schools. HRS has worked with these institutions in developing MOUs and a placement process to ensure the success of all involved with this collaborative effort.
The placement process starts in HRS with receiving requests from mostly placement coordinators. I also get requests from instructors, cohort leaders, and students themselves. This all depends on our arrangement with each institution. When you receive a placement request for observations, practicum or field hours, or student teaching, please direct the requester to contact me directly. After the details of the placement are reviewed, I will facilitate that placement with a school administrator before anything is confirmed.
For internships, usually in school counseling or administration, there is an application and screening process. This would include anyone interested in fulfilling internship requitements for licensing, even current employees of SLCSD. You can also direct those individuals to me and I will provide them with next steps.
If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to reach out. I'm here to help! I look forward to collaborating with each of you this year in various capacities.
Kellie May, M.Ed. (she/her/hers)
Education Specialist - Mentors/Alternative Pathway to Professional Educator License (APPEL) / Grow Your Own (GYO) / Pre-service Educators
Salt Lake City School District
2019 Utah Teacher of the Year
Office (801) 578-8215
Follow the district: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Excellence and Equity: every student, every classroom, every day
Dear Principals,
I hope this message finds you well and that your summer planning is off to a strong start.
I’m reaching out with a gentle reminder regarding the importance of timely approval of P-Card transactions. As outlined in Board Policy F-2 and detailed in the P-Card Manual (page 4), principals are responsible for ensuring that all credit card purchases at your site are in full alignment with district purchasing policies and procedures.
When you approve a transaction, you are verifying that this responsibility has been fulfilled. We’ve noticed delays in the approval process, and we want to support all sites in staying current and in compliance.
As noted in the manual, continued non-compliance may result in the loss of P-Card privileges—either for the individual staff member or, in some cases, for the entire site. While we know this is never the intention, we want to be proactive in avoiding those outcomes.
Please take a few moments to ensure your approvals are up to date and that systems are in place to keep them current moving forward. Your attention to this matter is greatly appreciated and helps us maintain fiscal integrity across the district.
Thank you for your leadership and continued partnership.
Hello Principals,
Welcome to a new school year! It was just over a year ago that we were in final stages of preparing for multiple school boundary changes due to school closures; that heavy lifting made us a year wiser as we reflect and prepare for the upcoming year(s).
We need your input as we anticipate future needs. The purpose of Board Policy G-5 (and its newly updated administrative procedures) is to "ensure a regular systematic review of the configuration and organization of district schools and, in compliance with state law, establish a process for adjusting boundaries, relocating or closing special enrollment programs, or permanently closing schools."
Our focus right now is to "ensure a regular systematic review"... I need 30-60 minutes from you (just you for now - on a Teams call) to discuss your specific school's boundaries and special enrollment programs (if you have one). What's going well? What needs to be adjusted (if anything)? What feedback have you received in your community? And if you're a principal new to your school, you may have many more questions.
Just click on this link and sign up for an available hour that works for you - I'd like to meet with you before you kick off the school year with staff and students: Book time with Brian Conley: Boundaries & Planning Meeting
Please respond before July 15.
Sincerely,
Brian
