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2023-2024 Summer Newsletter

Every summer, the school district sends out a Summer Newsletter to every home in Provo. You can watch for your copy in your mailbox.  If you missed it, below is all the information in that newsletter.

Superintendent Message

My name is Wendy Dau, and I am thrilled to be named the new Superintendent of Provo City School District! There are so many great things happening at the schools within Provo, and we want to expand these opportunities and make it an even better community than it already is. I think it might be helpful to share a little about my background so that you understand why education is such an important part of my identity and my life’s work.

I was raised in Bountiful, Utah, and both of my parents immigrated from Denmark in the 1950s. At a very young age, I remember my parents sharing some wise insight with me. First, my dad told me to obtain as much education as possible, for it was the only way to get ahead in society, especially as a daughter of immigrants. He told me to work hard in school so that my education could be paid for through scholarships. There was no understanding in my family of federal financial aid or student loans; you either worked to support yourself in college or you earned scholarships to have your schooling paid for. I took this advice to heart, and I loved school, mostly because I had incredible teachers who opened my eyes and believed in me even when I did not believe in myself. The second insight was from my mother, who taught me that I was just as capable of achieving and accomplishing whatever my heart desired, as long as I worked hard and was persistent. My mom told me never to shy away from a challenge, and if anyone suggested that a particular profession or course of study was not appropriate for a girl, she immediately dismissed that. Everyone can achieve, according to my mom, no matter their background, their race, their gender, if they had the right mentors fighting for them and if they were willing to work hard.

I was fortunate. I had incredible mentors in school, particularly in middle school and high school. My teachers taught me how to write and challenged me to read thought-provoking literature. In particular, I gained a great love of history. I was fortunate in that I had not just one, but several teachers who impacted my life for the better. Since I was in Kindergarten, I had always wanted to be a teacher, but it was during my high school years that I made the decision to become a high school teacher because I wanted to help students on their pathway towards graduation and college. Once that decision was made, there was no looking back. After high school, I attended Brigham Young University and majored in history and English. I had great practicum experiences at Provo High, Timpview High, Independence High, and Dixon Middle Schools. With each opportunity, I realized more and more that this was the career that I wanted. After graduating from BYU, I accepted a job at Davis High School in Davis School District. I remember being disappointed that I was not hired at my alma mater of Bountiful High, but my experience at Davis High ended up being the very best! I met my husband at Davis High, and I taught a variety of classes over the next seventeen years, including A.P. European and U.S. History. Helping students think critically and teaching them to write well were important to me, no matter the age or skill level of the student. I love it when my former students come back and say, “Do you remember how many essays you made us write?” Why yes! Do you remember how many essays I graded? Whew! So many! While teaching, I earned a master’s degree in history from the University of Utah, focusing primarily on 19th and 20th century women’s history. My husband eventually became an elementary principal and later a junior high principal and high school assistant principal. I became very familiar with the world of administration, and I finally decided to pursue a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Policy from the University of Utah. Needless to say, we talk A LOT about education in our home. While finishing this master’s degree, I accepted a part-time administrative internship at Clearfield High School. When I finished my degree, I was hired to be an assistant principal at Jordan High School in Canyons District. Jordan High is one of the oldest high schools in the state, rich in tradition. I had great mentors, both at the school and district level, as I learned what it took to support teachers in their great work. After two years at Jordan High, I was assigned to be the principal of Midvale Middle School, one of the most highly impacted middle schools in the state. I learned so much from the faculty of this school, as their dedication and perseverance were beyond any I had ever seen. We had students from the Road Home Shelter. We had gifted and talented students in our gifted program, a Dual Immersion Spanish Program, a special class for students with significant behavior challenges, and we had to work together as a faculty to meet the needs of a very diverse group of learners. This assignment was one of the most challenging and most rewarding ever. The teachers who could connect with students and build those relationships were magical, and I never grew tired of sitting in their classes and seeing how they could engage students. While serving as the principal, we built a brand-new building for our students and community, which sent a great message that our district was invested in all kids to ensure that they had great learning spaces. After two years at Midvale Middle, I returned to Jordan High School as the head principal. What a great honor to return to serve this incredible faculty and staff. I loved going to work every day, even with the stress that comes from being a high school principal. I had the best administrative teams who worked collaboratively with teacher leaders to build a great community. The students kept me young and full of energy, and I loved sitting in classrooms seeing teachers build great relationships with young people as they helped them finish out their path towards graduation. Few things are better than shaking the hand of every single senior as they walk across the graduation stage to earn their diploma. I am inspired every year when I see the extraordinary accomplishments of young people, and I see the obstacles they overcome to achieve their goals. Even during Covid, I watched us come together as a community, and the appreciation that students developed for simple things like a school dance or an assembly was fun to see. I know that the life of a high school principal is hectic, but I loved extracurricular activities from the performing arts to athletics to competitions of every kind. Seeing kids do something they were passionate about was a great reward. The happiest moments were when you asked students what they loved about Jordan High and they said, “I love the diversity here. Everyone is included. We’re a family.”

For the past two years, I have served as the Director of Federal and State Programs in the Canyons District Office. I have been part of the Superintendent’s Cabinet, and I also facilitate our District Case Management Team which oversees all of our safe schools violations so that we can formulate plans to re-integrate students and ensure they have the supports they need while keeping students safe. I have overseen our Title I schools, all of our funding for English learners, after school programming, and supports for Native American students. I also participated in the development of our district’s Strategic Plan, and I oversee the committee that supports one of our major pillars: Access and Opportunity. It is no secret that I am a fighter for all students to have what they need to take advantage of the opportunities we provide. And to do this, we have to fight for teachers and principals to have the support they need to be effective with all students. I am currently working on my doctorate at the University of Utah in Educational Leadership and Policy, with my research focused on the impact that positive relations between superintendents and school boards can have on student outcomes. On a personal note, my husband, David Dau, is a retired principal and currently teaches at the alternative high school in Canyons District. I have three amazing children: Zach, who is married to my brilliant daughter-in law Kari; Caleb who is a paraeducator for students with severe disabilities, and Sierra who works as an occupational therapist for the elderly. But clearly the most important person in my family is my beautiful grandson, Beau, who is 18 months old. Nothing is better than watching your children grow into incredible adults that you want to be around and spend time with. I am so lucky to have such an incredible and supportive family! The diversity of the Provo City School District excites me, as I believe we can create great opportunities and meet the needs of all students and families. I assure you that I will work hard for our kids and our families and our employees, and I hope that the passion that I have for education will be contagious, for as my dad said, education has the ability to open up endless opportunities for all when we work together!

Wendy Dau, Provo City School District Superintendent

School Board President’s Message

As we prepare for the start of our upcoming school year, I want to personally welcome back all the students and families in Provo City School District! A new school year is always exciting, but this year I feel we have even more to look forward to. We’ll soon be opening a brand-new, safe, academic wing at Timpview High School with a few other improvements and construction projects being completed there within the next year. We’re also anxiously awaiting the completion of Shoreline Middle School (about 1 year of construction remaining) and Wasatch Elementary School (about 1.5 years of construction remaining). The end of those construction projects will mean that every single student in our district will have safe, updated facilities to learn in. What an accomplishment for our District since we were facing terrible facilities challenges only 10 years ago. We are also excited to welcome our new superintendent, Wendy Dau! I’m confident her leadership will bring positive change and growth for our district while building on the many things we already do well. With our primary focus on student achievement, together we have solid plans in place to fine-tune academics, communication, systems, and many other aspects of our operations. Her wealth of experience, energy, and enthusiasm will be a huge benefit to our students and teachers. She plans to be in the schools and engaging with the public right away. Please say hello to her when you see her out and about. We are lucky to live in the beautiful city of Provo with such wonderful residents. We appreciate your support as we embark on these new & exciting adventures together. I hope your summer has been relaxing and rejuvenating and that you’re ready for the 2023-2024 school year. We happily anticipate the students’ return!

Rebecca Nielsen, School Board President

PCSD Stakeholder Report

Learn about our School Board Representatives on the School Board webpage here.

Schools 2022-2023

  • 13 Elementary, 2 Middle, 2 High and 1 Alternative High School
  • Specialty Schools include: Preschools, eSchool, Adult Ed. & East Bay Post High
  • 7 Diverse Title I Schools with excellent academic growth data
  • 5 Dual Immersion Schools: French, Portuguese, Chinese and 2 Spanish

Students 2022-2023

Total Enrollment: 13,611

Ethnic Minority 42%

Economically Disadvantaged 38%

Special Education 12%

English Language Learners 18%

Student to Teacher Ratio

State Average Elementary = 23 to 1 Language Arts = 27 to 1 Math = 26 to 1 Science = 27 to 1

District Average Elementary = 23 to 1 Language Arts = 30 to 1 Math = 27 to 1 Science = 31 to 1

Educators by Degree 497 Bachelors 273 Masters 7 PHD

High Ratio Services Staff Including 18 Speech Pathologists 17 Psychologists 23 Counselors 21 Social Workers

Achievements

2021-2022 School Year Data*

  • 60% of Budget Spent on Instruction
  • 1 to 1 Student Devices with 18,000 Chromebooks
  • Over 6,000 Students Enrolled in CTE Courses Including courses in business, technology, welding, automotive, family and consumer sciences and more.
  • Over 4,000 Students Enrolled in Computer Science Related Courses Including courses in programing, robotics, web development, game development and cybersecurity

Educator Professional Development

  • 532 Teachers Received Lane Advancement Credits
  • 258 Teachers Certified LETRS Early Literacy
  • 530 Teachers Utilized Instructional Coaches
  • 85 Teachers Implemented a Vocabulary Routine that supports Multilingual Learners
  • All Secondary Math Teachers Engaged in professional development to expand student dialog and engagement in math
  • 139 Teachers Worked with Innovative Learning Specialist
  • Over 90 Teachers Attended Innovative Learning Summit School Registration Information

Proficiency 2021-2022

State

  • Language Arts: 44%
  • Mathematics: 39%
  • Science: 42%

District

  • Language Arts: 51%
  • Mathematics: 38%
  • Science: 35%

Graduation

  • Nation: 85%
  • Utah: 88%
  • Provo: 91%

Early Literacy 2021-2022

  • State Average 65%
  • District Average 72%

School Land Trust

  • $1,944,853 Directly to Individual Schools

Teacher & Student Success Act $3,092,795 Directly to Individual Schools

School Registration Information

Starting school can feel daunting– but we’re here to help. Students must be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2023 to register. Below is our guide to getting new, returning, and inactive students (those who withdrew from school before July 15, 2023) through our online registration with valuable tips.

  1. Find your school using our School Boundary Locator
  2. Fill out the pre-registration form
    • Your school will create a PowerSchool account and email you instructions to access that account within 5-7 business days. During the summer it may take longer.
  3. Login to Powerschool using the information sent in the email from your school. Fill out all the required fields. Please be aware that this portal is closed each year from July 1-15 during our system update.
    • Please allow USIS (US Information Service) access to your immunization records. This allows our nurses to save your immunization records for future usage.
    • Bring the following documents to the school:
      • Original copy of your child’s birth certificate
      • Complete immunization records (including shot dates/exemption certificates.
      • Proof of address (utility bill, rental agreement, etc.)
      • Photo ID of the parent

Remember that you must complete the online registration annually through the Parent Portal Account in PowerSchool. The Portal offers access to grades, attendance, assignments, and vital safety notifications and communications from your school and district. If your student is enrolled but you don’t have a Portal Account, visit grades.provo.edu or scan our QR code. Please note the portal is closed from July 1-15 during our system update.

Title 1 Preschool

It’s time to register for Preschool!

  • You must live within the boundary of one of the 7 Title I schools
  • Your child must be 4 years old by September 1st, 2023
  • Your child must be screened to qualify for the preschool
  • School is Monday – Friday
  • AM & PM sessions available
  • Tuition is $20/Month
  • Parents must provide transportation to and from school

PCSD Programs

Provo City School District believes it is our calling to create specialized experiences fitting you or your child’s ambitions. Whether it’s rubbing shoulders with elite entrepreneurs, coding bots, or learning new languages, we have a path for you. Start your academic journey within minutes. Go to provo.edu/program-overlook to learn more, and experience one of our specially designed programs.

Dual Language Enrollment (DLI)

Learn to speak Mandarin Chinese, French, Portuguese, or Spanish through our Dual-Immersion Program.

Center for Accelerated Studies (CAS)

Challenge your gifted student. The Center for Accelerated Studies is a full-time gifted magnet program for grades 4-6.

Preschool

We offer tuition-based early intervention and Title 1 Preschool for families interested in fostering an early love of learning.

Independence High School

If you’re looking for smaller class sizes, more hands-on experiences and supportive classroom relationships, with a graduation-focused experience, Independence is a great option.

Provo Adult Education

It’s not too late to get your high school diploma. We offer high school completion and GED prep for all ages.

English Learning

We have English classes at every level for any age. We hold daytime and evening classes.

eSchool

Flexible learners will receive quality education through our virtual online education program.

Career and Technical Education (CTE)

Career and Technical Education equips students with real- world and trade skills that support them for life.

Advanced Studies

Jumpstart your college career with Concurrent Enrollment, learning from accredited university instructors.

ProvoREADS

ProvoREADS is our initiative to promote literacy—broadening, and deepening an appreciation of reading by bringing people together to read common books and increasing yearly reading. The 2023-24 school year will highlight books written and illustrated by Dan Santat.

Battle of the Books

Battle of the Books (BOB) is a district-wide opportunity for students to read selected book titles and compete as teams. Check out the BOB 3-8 grade lists for the 2023-24 school year and get a head start on reading!

Provo CAPS

Students are immersed in a professional culture, solve real- world problems and use industry-standard tools while being mentored by actual employers.

Drivers Education

Drivers Ed students complete an online course, simulators and behind the wheel training. Our program requires 40 hours of driving supervised by a parent before course enrollment.

Extended Day Programs

Whether it’s Camp Big Springs, tutoring, STEM programs, or credit recovery, we’ve got programs to fit your needs.

Extra-Curricular

We have a way to maximize your schooling experience through sports, school clubs, running for student government and more.

Open Enrollment

Students may apply to attend a school other than their boundary school.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Provo City School District is committed to providing a world class education resulting in equitable outcomes for all students.

Special Education

We strive to ensure that all students with disabilities have a free, appropriate public education, emphasizing special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs in preparation for further education, employment, and independent living.

East Bay Post High

East Bay provides education and training for students with special needs past high school.

Construction Update

Timpview High School

Budget Item: Construction Services Budget: $72,871,050 Amount Spent: $52,554,303 Remaining Budget: $20,316,746

Budget Item: Architect Services Budget: $5,500,000 Amount Spent: $5,253,806 Remaining Budget: $246,194

Budget Item: Engineering & Other Budget: $500,000 Amount Spent: $353,922 Remaining Budget: $146,074

Budget Item: Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment Budget: $1,500,000 Amount Spent: $178,138 Remaining Budget: $1,321,862

Budget Item: Total Project Costs Budget: $80,371,050 Amount Spent: $58,340,170 Remaining Budget: $22,030,881

Shoreline Middle School

Budget Item: Construction Services Budget: $65,923,678 Amount Spent: $24,606,411 Remaining Budget: $41,874,268

Budget Item: Architect Services Budget: $3,500,000 Amount Spent: $854,963 Remaining Budget: $2,645,037

Budget Item: Engineering & Other Budget: $500,000 Amount Spent: $12,3085 Remaining Budget: $376,915

Budget Item: Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment Budget: $1,243,766 Amount Spent: $0 Remaining Budget: $1,243,766

Budget Item: Total Project Costs Budget: $71,167,444 Amount Spent: $25,027,459 Remaining Budget: $46,139,985

Wasatch Elementary

Budget Item: Construction Services Budget: $40,400,523 Amount Spent: $4,055,160 Remaining Budget: $36,345,273

Budget Item: Architect Services Budget: $2,500,000 Amount Spent: $961,351 Remaining Budget: $1,538,649

Budget Item: Engineering & Other Budget: $250,000 Amount Spent: $18,649 Remaining Budget: $231,351

Budget Item: Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment Budget: $1,250,000 Amount Spent: $0 Remaining Budget: $1,250,000

Budget Item: Total Project Costs Budget: $44,400,523 Amount Spent: $5,035,250 Remaining Budget: $39,365,273

Provo City School District
  • Provo City School District
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