By Julie Johansen
The Emery County School Board held its regular monthly meeting on June 16 at the district office in Huntington. Following the call to order and Pledge of Allegiance, a public hearing was opened to review the proposed final budget for the fiscal year 2021 and the tentative original budget for fiscal year 2022.
Emery County School District Business Administrator Jackie Allred presented a brief overview of both budgets in a screen presentation. Changes in increases due to WPU and new tax growth were discussed as well decreases because of declining enrollment. The final budget for 2021 was $86 million, including the bond monies, and for 2022, $77 million is projected, including monies from the bonds.
Allred also noted that school lunch will continue this summer like last year. Allred then reported that construction at all three sites is right on schedule, but drought considerations are top of mind, meaning that sod and turf planting may have to be postponed another year. The board then returned to the regular meeting. In action agenda items, both budgets were adopted.
Names for hiring were then presented to the board for approval by Superintendent Jared Black. Those names included Kara Bigelow, teacher at Book Cliff Elementary; Jenny Gagon, Principal at Canyon View Middle School; Amanda West, half-day teacher at Huntington Elementary; Katelyn Cosby, teacher at Castle Dale Elementary; Cresta Winter, resource teacher at Cleveland Elementary; Dave Justice, head boys’ basketball coach at Emery High; Rebecca Norton, kindergarten aide at Huntington Elementary; Thomas Burr, recovery/ISS at Emery High; Ethan Migliori, head tennis coach at Emery High; Amber Stilson, assistant volleyball coach at Emery High; Janet Ewell, Principal at Cleveland Elementary; and Sara Bradbury, half-day teacher Book Cliff Elementary. These names received approval from the board. Ryan Maughan, Emery County School District Special Programs Director and incoming Superintendent, stated that there are still a few more positions to fill in the district.
Next, Emery High counselors spoke to the board about programs used and projected for Emery High. They felt that programs are going really well, but communication with parents and parent involvement was lacking. They were questioned by board member Marie Johnson about the changes in the Regency Scholarship.
Superintendent Black made closing remarks to the board as he will be leaving the district next week. The board wished him well in his new adventures in Cache County.
