Canyons School District

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Canyons School District is a Salt Lake County school district in Utah, United States, which serves the communities of Alta, Cottonwood Heights, Draper, Midvale and Sandy. Residents of those communities voted to create the District in 2007, making Canyons District the first school district to be formed in the state in almost a century. Canyons has approximately 33,000 students in 44 schools.[1] There are 29 elementary schools, eight middle schools, five high schools, and four special programs schools, including one technical school, a special education school and a high school for adults in prison. The District covers 192 square miles and employs 6,000 people.

The District officially started operating on July 1, 2009, with students attending Canyons schools for the first time that fall.[2][3]

Formation of the District

Canyons District was created after residents in the communities of Alta, Cottonwood Heights, Draper, Midvale and Sandy voted in 2007 to split the Jordan School District, which was the largest district in the state at the time. Dr. David Doty, a former high school Spanish teacher, and Assistant Commissioner and Director of Policy Studies for the Utah System of Higher Education, was chosen by the new Board of Education to be the District's first Superintendent.

As of June 30, 2013, Doty resigned his position to join the executive leadership team at Education Direction, a Utah-based education consulting firm. Deputy Superintendent Dr. Ginger Rhode was appointed to serve as Interim Superintendent while a search is conducted to replace Doty.

Early on in the District's formation, the Board of Education, Superintendent, administrators and teachers established a goal to help Canyons' students become college-and career-ready. To that end, the District embarked on an aggressive plan to remodel aging schools or build where necessary, adapted innovative curriculum and reconfigured grades in elementary, middle and high school.

Canyons District also established high financial standards and accountability to the public. The District received awards for budget excellence in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and successfully campaigned for a $250 million bond to build and renovate schools with the highest possible bond rating from Moody's Investors Service. The District regularly partners with civic and business leaders and maintains an active volunteer program.

Canyons District offices are in Sandy, Utah, located close to world-class ski resorts, a professional soccer stadium, shopping, concert venues, a convention center and other entertainment opportunities. The symbol of the District is of three mountain peaks, representative of the mountains in the area.

Division of assets

Canyons School District and Jordan School District entered an arbitration process to divide assets between the two districts after their split.[4] As a result of that process, Canyons School District received 41 percent of the overall assets, based on student population. Canyons also agreed to pay 58 percent of a $281 million bond debt — incurred in 2003 by the formerly combined district — until 2022. 

The Utah State Legislature passed a bill in 2008 that requires Canyons, Murray, Granite and Salt Lake City school districts to contribute capital funds to Jordan School District to offset a disparity in the districts' tax base.[5][6] Canyons District is required to contribute $3.8 million annually to Jordan until the legislation expires in 2016.[7][8][9] In order to generate the $3.8 million for Jordan, Canyons established a tax rate in 2009 that was 3.8 percent higher than the year before.[10]

Academics and achievements

Canyons District students are known for their accomplishments, which span from academic and athletic state championships to scholarships. In 2012, graduating students earned $19.5 million in scholarship offerings and won seven state championships. More than two-thirds of the graduating class earned Advanced or Honors Diplomas, which require students to achieve exemplary scores on the ACT college entrance exam, as well as take additional credits in higher-level mathematics and science and world languages. Since 2010, 1,047 students in the District's program at the Utah State Prison earned high school diplomas.

The District earned a place on the 2012 College Board's Advanced Placement Honor Roll for student involvement in AP classes. Two of the District's high schools have been included on Newsweek magazine's list of the best high schools in the country. In 2012, Quail Hollow Elementary School became a National Blue Ribbon School, one of three in Utah. During the same year, Midvale Middle School became an International Baccalaureate World School, making it one of two middle schools in Utah with the authorization to offer the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme.

The District also offers an on-line virtual high school, magnet programs to support advanced learners and Dual Immersion Language Programs in Mandarin Chinese-English, French-English and Spanish-English.

Facilities and operations

On June 22, 2010, voters approved a $250 million, tax-neutral bond to finance improvements and new construction in the District. New schools Corner Canyon High school and Draper Park Middle school in Draper, and Butler Middle school in Cottonwood Heights, were completed in 2013. Midvale Elementary school in Midvale was completed in 2012. Albion Middle School in Sandy was completely renovated in 2012. Other renovations and upgrades were also completed, including seismic upgrades, playground updates, cooling system updates and accommodation for ninth-graders in the existing Brighton and Hillcrest high schools as part of a grade re-alignment.[11]

Newly completed and renovated schools feature details like an emphasis on natural light, state-of-the-art computer labs, large auditoriums and gymnasiums with elevated tracks. Several schools also have newly-built media centers with TV production studios and green-screen capability. Corner Canyon High School features a 4,700-seat sports complex, as well as science and computer labs.

Canyons District maintains more than 5 million square feet in its buildings, nearly 12,000 computers with an average age of about three years, about 350 acres of lawn and 167 buses.

Outreach and partnerships

Canyons School District receives support from volunteers and the local community through partnerships that include cities, businesses and nearby colleges. These entities work with the Canyons School District Education Foundation, an independent non-profit organization of volunteer business leaders in the community who donate their time and allocate resources to the District to improve educational opportunities for students.

Schools

High Schools

Middle Schools

  • Albion (Sandy)
  • Butler (Cottonwood Heights)
  • Draper Park (Draper)
  • Eastmont (Sandy)
  • Indian Hills (Sandy)
  • Midvale (Midvale)
  • Mount Jordan (Sandy)
  • Union (Sandy)

Elementary Schools

  • Alta View (White City)
  • Altara (Sandy)
  • Bell View (Sandy)
  • Bella Vista (Cottonwood Heights)
  • Brookwood (Sandy)
  • Butler (Cottonwood Heights)
  • Canyon View (Cottonwood Heights)
  • Copperview (Midvale)
  • Crescent (Sandy)
  • Draper (Draper)
  • East Midvale (Midvale)
  • East Sandy (Sandy)
  • Edgemont (Sandy)
  • Granite (Sandy)
  • Lone Peak (Sandy)
  • Midvale (Midvale)
  • Midvalley (Midvale)
  • Oak Hollow (Draper)
  • Oakdale (Sandy)
  • Park Lane (Sandy)
  • Peruvian Park (Sandy)
  • Quail Hollow (Sandy)
  • Ridgecrest (Cottonwood Heights)
  • Sandy (Sandy)
  • Silver Mesa (Sandy)
  • Sprucewood (Sandy)
  • Sunrise (Sandy)
  • Willow Canyon (Sandy)
  • Willow Springs (Draper)

Other

References

  1. ↑ Official District Web Page
  2. ↑ Stewart, Kirsten (September 23, 2009). "Canyons District draws high marks from parents". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2009-10-09. 
  3. ↑ "Residents generally happy with Canyons School District". KSL-TV. September 16, 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-09. 
  4. ↑ "Arbitration ruling issued in Jordan School District split". KSL. March 18, 2009.
  5. ↑ "Utah State Legislature SB48".
  6. ↑ "SL County school districts cry foul over tax increases". Deseret News. August 21, 2009. Stewart, Amy K.
  7. ↑ "Utah State Legislature SB175".
  8. ↑ "Equalization repeal law passes". KCPW.
  9. ↑ "Help for Jordan District may be on the way". Salt Lake Tribune. March 5, 2010. Schencker, Lisa.
  10. ↑ "Canyons School District truth in taxation hearing". July 23, 2009.
  11. ↑ Canyons district bond barely passes. The Salt Lake Tribune. June 24, 2010. Winters, Rosemary.
  12. ↑ Entrada Adult High School
  13. ↑ CTEC

External links

Official website

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