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Category: General

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This guidance is designed to help school leaders support families with transportation questions, particularly those who live within the state ineligible distance guidelines (less than 1.5 miles for elementary and 2.0 miles for secondary). The process ensures equity, consistency, and compliance with state law, while always prioritizing state-qualified riders.

Key Eligibility Standards

  • Qualified Riders:
    Students who live beyond the state thresholds (1.5 miles elementary / 2.0 miles secondary) or who are approved for a documented safety exception.
  • Unqualified Riders:
    Students who live within the state thresholds and do not have a safety exception.

Exception Requests

Families who wish to request transportation outside of state eligibility must complete the Salt Lake City School District Transportation Exception Request Form each year.

Important reminders for families:

  • Approval is subject to available seating and may be revoked at any time if space is needed for state-qualified riders.
  • No new or relocated bus stops will be created. Students must use existing stops.
  • Transportation under an exception is a privilege, not a right, and may be revoked for misconduct.
  • School choice families (students attending outside their boundary) are responsible for their own transportation.

Temporary Ridership During Review

  • Students may ride temporarily while requests are under review if there is available space.
  • Temporary ridership does not guarantee approval.

Timing of Requests

  • No exception or “space available” requests will be reviewed until 15 school days after the start of the year, once average daily ridership counts are established.
  • This waiting period allows for accurate capacity data.

Approval Criteria

  • Requests may be approved only if:
    • The bus route shows at least 10% seating capacity above daily usage.
    • No state-qualified student is displaced.
    • Requests are considered first-come, first-served.
    • Approval is valid for one school year only and must be renewed annually.

Conditions of Ridership

  • Revocation: Exception riders may lose transportation if capacity is needed for eligible students.
  • Boundaries: Exception passes do not apply to after-school jobs, activities, or non-boundary placements.
  • Conduct: Students must follow all bus rules; misconduct may result in loss of transportation privileges.

Communication & Notification

  • Parents/guardians will receive written notice of approval or denial.
  • Principals will receive updated rider lists.
  • Drivers receive weekly rosters and allow boarding temporarily until final determinations are made.

Role of Zūm Pass & Drivers

  • Every rider must tap their Zūm pass when boarding and exiting.
  • If a student has no pass:
    • The driver will allow boarding if the student appears on the approved list.
    • If unsure, the driver records the student’s details and transports them safely.
  • Drivers do not deny boarding; Transportation reviews unknown riders after reporting.

How Principals Can Support Families

  • Direct families to the Transportation Exception Request Form.
  • Remind families that requests cannot be reviewed until after the 15-day ridership count.
  • Emphasize that approval is space-dependent and not guaranteed.
  • Reassure families that safety is always a priority and that all requests are reviewed fairly.

Key Takeaways for Families

  • Transportation under exception requests is a privilege and not guaranteed.
  • State-qualified riders always have first priority.
  • All requests are reviewed consistently and equitably.
  • The district must balance capacity, safety, and compliance with state regulations.

Please reach out if you have any questions or need further information.

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To:             All Administrators

From:        Dessie Olson, Social Studies Specialist

Adam Eskelson, Director, Social Studies

                 Tiffany Hall, Executive Director, Teaching and Learning

Subject:    American Founders and Constitution Month

Summary:

In 2023 the Utah Legislature designated September as American Founders and Constitution Month. Significant information follows:

  • Communication from Ryan Bartlet, USBE Director of Strategic Communications:
    • What: Each September, Utah observes American Founders and Constitution Month—a time to reflect on the vision, courage, and principles that shaped our nation. This annual observance is an opportunity to help students connect the founding ideals of liberty, justice, and self-governance to their own lives and roles as citizens. As educators and leaders, we have the privilege of guiding them to see how the Constitution continues to influence our communities and the freedoms we enjoy today.
    • Whether through classroom discussions, school-wide events, or creative student projects, we invite you to join in making this a meaningful, memorable experience for your students.
  • Please read the supporting letter from Governor Cox
  • Resources provided by USBE are located in the DDC and teacher resources are found in the Social Studies for Teachers Resource Canvas.

Rationale: 

In response to 2023 HB 179 and shared at the request of USBE.

Expectations for Implementation: 

  1. Communication
  • Principals are responsible to share this information with students, partent, faculty, counselors, and others in the school community.
  1. Collaboration: 
  1. Evaluation
  • Successfully sharing the information with faculty and providing students with an opportunity to learn about the U.S. Constitution and American Founders.

Keywords: American Founders and Constitution Month, Civics, social studies, Constitution Day, HB179

Published on

Bri Conley

Director of Educational Equity and Access

Published 8/29/2025

· 1 min read

Dear Principals,

As part of SLCSD's Strategic Plan Pillar 3, Goal 1, we are beginning baseline data collection on student and family attendance at key school events:

  • Back-to-School Night
  • Two additional family engagement events this year(selected by your school)
  • Fall and Spring SEP Conferences

Please complete the School Event Attendance Count form by Thursday, September 4. The form includes:

  • Attendance counts or estimates for 2025 Back-to-School Night
  • Method of tracking attendance (e.g., sign-in sheets, digital check-ins, estimates)
  • Prompts to identify your next two 2025-26 major events and SEP dates
  • Input about last year's most attended events at your schools

Thank you for your timely attention and support.

Published on

Hello,

I'd like to introduce myself as a new face in SLCSD. My name is Julianna Wing and I'm joining the CTE team with the charge to help connect industry partners with our students. One of my initiatives is to ensure that career exploration opportunities, known as Work Based Learning, are shared with all grades, K-12.  To best share information, I'm compiling a list of the contact person at each elementary and middle school. Please fill out the best contact person (administrator, counselor, etc.) for future Work Based Learning announcements on the spreadsheet below. There are two tabs at the bottom, one for elementary and one for middle school. 

The first event to share with you is the Saturday Academy, hosting by the University of Utah. This is a look into healthcare careers for grades 6-12 on Saturdays, beginning in September. Parents will need to register students on their own and arrange for transportation. See the attached flier to pass along to families. 

As more events come up, I'll be sending them directly to the contact shared on the spreadsheet. We're excited about more opportunities coming for students so stay tuned. 

Published on

Dear Administrators,

CSTAG (Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines) is a critical component of our collective responsibility to ensure safe, supportive learning environments. As outlined in our Strategic Plan, every building leader must be CSTAG trained and renew that training every three years.

If you have not yet completed CSTAG training, or if it has been more than three years since your last session, please register for one of the upcoming opportunities via KickUp.

Training Details

  • All sessions run from 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
  • Locations: District Office

Upcoming Dates:

  • Monday, September 22 – Room 1016
  • Wednesday, October 22 – Room P211
  • Wednesday, January 14 – Room 1055
  • Wednesday, March 11 – Room 1055

Your timely participation helps us remain aligned with best practices in school safety while supporting our districtwide goals. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need additional information or assistance with registration.

Thank you for your continued commitment to leading safe, welcoming schools for our students, staff, and families.

Published on

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.

Published on

Summary:

All SLCSD educators must have an ESL endorsement. Depending on their teaching area, they can have a district modified or state endorsement. New employees must complete their endorsement by their fourth year of employment.

The ESL Endorsement is granted by USBE and can be earned by completing six courses or by taking and passing the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Praxis Exam (5362).

Certain categories of educators – including administrators – in the district can earn a modified endorsement with fewer classes. The classes are determined by the educators’ role and are outlined in the district’s ALS Master Plan. The modified endorsement is only recognized by SLCSD. More information about modified endorsements is on the district’s ESL Endorsement page.

Rationale: 

State and federal law, policies, and regulations provide parameters regarding the education of students who are Multi-Language Learners (MLL) in the United States. School districts must identify students, assess their abilities to understand, speak, read, and write English, and provide comprehensible and content-based instructional programs.

SLCSD designed the program to begin in the spring to support new teachers by not crowding too much into the first semester of their work with students in the district.

Expectations for Implementation: 

  1. Communication
  • Please share this information with your new teachers.
  • Please check with your teachers during your ECAP sessions to ensure they have completed or are on track to complete the ESL Endorsement or Modified Endorsement.
  •  Full information about the endorsement and its requirements can be found on the district’s website. ESL Endorsement Information.
  1. Collaboration: 
  • SLCSD provides an ESL endorsement program designed to provide educators with the knowledge and strategies to support English language learners in their classrooms.
  • ESL Endorsement classes are graduate-level classes offered with university credit, so they will count toward a professional lane change. The complete ESL Endorsement (six classes, earning grade of C or better) is granted by USBE and is recorded on the teaching credential. The modified endorsement is only recorded on your SLCSD record.
  • Cohorts begin every spring. Registration information is sent through the district email system in February and can be found on Clever in KickUp. Classes are online.
  • The district funds the instructor and provides materials. The cost per class is $72 for posting fees.
  • Please contact Dr. Tiffany Hall with questions.
  1. Evaluation
  • All teachers must have the appropriate endorsement, which is dependent on the content and level they teach.

Keywords: ESL Endorsement

Published on

Summary:

During the annual Administrator Institute in July 2025, all administrators received an update on legislative changes, including new requirements related to toilet training.

The updated guidance is:

  • Schools must provide educational services to any student removed from school because of toilet training while they are at home.
  • Students may return to school for their Special Education minutes during the time they are working on toilet training at home.

During the elementary session, administrators asked the following questions. Responses are summarized below:

  • What if a student has a documented medical issue on a 504 plan, or toilet training concerns are part of an IEP?
    The student would not be removed from school. Appropriate accommodations would be made.
  • Can students have a goal on their IEP for toilet training?
    Toilet training goals can be written into an IEP if the toileting issue is directly related to the student’s disability and is necessary for their access to education (often as a functional or transition goal).
  • Can a student qualify for an IEP if they are not toilet trained?
    No. Toilet training by itself is not a disability. A student cannot have an IEP with a goal that is only toilet training.

If toileting concerns are developmental (a child is simply late in training) but not tied to a qualifying disability or medical condition, then it would not meet the threshold for IEP elibility.

In these cases, general education strategies and family support would be the avenue, not a formal plan.

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: 

  1. Communication: 
  • Please make sure appropriate teachers and staff are aware.
  1. Collaboration: 
  • Contact Erin Anderson with questions.

Keywords:  Toilet training 

Published on

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:

  • Utah Studies
  • US History I
  • World Geography
  • World History
  • US History II
  • US Government & Citizenship. 

Expectations for Implementation: 

  1. Communication: 
  • The approved list of textbooks and the buy guides are located in the District Document Center under Teaching and Learning >> Social Studies. 
  • When ordering new textbook materials, teachers must select from the approved list. 
  • Depending on the available budget, teachers may choose from physical and/or digital materials. 
  • We recognize not all teachers will purchase materials. Purchasing social studies textbook materials is at the discretion of school administrator and/or teacher. 
  • For teachers using textbook materials as their main source of curriculum, it is important to update their materials within the school budgetary timeline for purchasing social studies materials. 
  • Schools purchase the materials. The T&L Department can help coordinate your order.
     
  1. Collaboration: 
  1. Timeline: 
  • August 20, 2025 through next adoption cycle (potentially 2032)

Keywords:  text books, social studies, history, approved materials, 7-12 

Published on

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:

  • Glencoe Teen Health (middle school)
  • Glencoe Health (high school)

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: 

  1. Communication: 
  •  Information about delivery will be forthcoming.
  • Information about a ½ day training will be forthcoming. Subs will be provided.
  1. Collaboration: 
  • Contact Katie Lowery with questions.
  1. Timeline: 
  • August 2025 through next adoption cycle (potentially 2032)

Keywords:  text books, health, curriculum, approved materials, 7-12 

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