Mensajes trimestrales del Consejo Escolar del PCSD

Jennifer Partridge

Board President

District 4 Representative (Provost & Spring Creek Boundaries)

Hello Provo,

As we approach the end of the school year, I would like to give a huge thank you to our wonderful teachers, support staff, school administrators, and district team. Their care and diligent efforts are evident every time I step into one of our schools!

At the beginning of the school year we finalized and adopted our strategic plan. I am delighted to see that this has become the guiding document for the work happening in each of our schools. For example, our principals are finalizing their School Improvement Plan for next year and every goal is tied directly back to one of the strategic plan goals. I invite you to read our strategic plan:

Provo City School District Strategic Plan

Related to our Academic Achievement strategic plan goal, one focus this year has been to refine our PLC work. Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) consist of grade-level teams at elementary schools and subject-level teams at secondary schools. They meet together every Friday to study their student achievement data and collaborate together on how they can adjust instruction to help each student understand the learning targets. Our administrators and teachers have received training and ongoing support to help them work smarter and not harder, focusing on student achievement. Additionally, this is the first year every school has had a dedicated instructional coach, who also supports teachers in improving instruction. We are hearing from our teachers that this is needed, appreciated, and effective!

I feel so blessed to be working with six other board members as well as district leaders who are extremely focused on supporting our students and teachers! We are asking many thoughtful questions, which has led to currently studying our boundaries and the Dual Language Immersion & CAS elementary gifted programs. It is important that we are good stewards of our resources and also that we are meeting the needs of our students. As we evaluate everything and slowly come to some decisions over the next many months, I’m looking forward to the feedback and recommendations from our newly-established Community Connections and Parent Advisory committees. We also welcome all community members to contact us anytime with your thoughts and questions. We make better decisions as a board when we have input from a variety of perspectives!

Thank you for your support. Your efforts to get your students to school, help them with their learning, work with their teachers, and to learn about school board decisions and engage with us on them makes such a wonderful difference! We have a special thing here in Provo! It is an honor to serve on the school board and to get to be a part of it all.

Gracias,

Jennifer Partridge

Gina Hales

Board Vice President

District 7 Representative (Timpanogos Boundary)

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Happy Spring! With just a few weeks left in the school year, I want to wish you all the best as we head into the home stretch. This is such a busy and exciting time for students, families, and educators alike. I hope you’re enjoying the season and feeling proud of all the growth and effort you’ve seen this year.

In addition to reading the Spring newsletter, you can stay up to date with what’s happening in our district by watching our Board meetings, listening to the superintendent’s weekly podcast, and/or watching her video updates. If you’d like to receive my board meeting notes directly, email me at ginah@provo.edu and I’ll add you to the list.

As a parent and neighbor in this community, I care deeply about our schools. I’m excited about the wonderful things happening in the school district, many which are highlighted in the district newsletter. In addition, I wanted to share a quick update about the Dixon site, since that seems to be what I am asked about the most by constituents.

The Future of the Dixon Site

The decision about what will happen at the current Dixon Middle School site is important to both the community and the school board. No decision has been made yet, but from my perspective, two main options have emerged: either building a Career and Technical Education (CTE) center for secondary students, or moving Timpanogos Elementary to the Dixon site and constructing the CTE center at the current Timpanogos location.

I’ve heard from many in the Timpanogos community who are urging us to relocate the elementary school to Dixon, and I’ve also heard from residents who feel that a CTE center would be the best long-term investment for that space. Both options have real benefits, and we’re looking carefully at all the factors involved—location, enrollment, transportation, long-term growth, and how to best serve students and families.

Please know that each member of the board is approaching this decision thoughtfully and responsibly. We’re listening to the community, studying the data, and weighing what will best support student success for years to come. We will not make a final decision about the Dixon site until we have completed the district-wide boundary and feasibility study (discussed in the district newsletter), and have made some decisions about school boundaries and programs.

Thank you for staying engaged and for your support as we navigate these important decisions. If you ever have thoughts or questions, my inbox is always open.

Warmly,

Gina Hales

Lisa Boyce

District 1 Representative (Canyon Crest Boundary)

Hello, District One!

I want to begin this letter with a heartfelt thank you for the opportunity to serve as your representative on the Provo City School Board. Recently, State Superintendent Sydnee Dickson shared a few “pillars of light” that highlight some of the successes we’re seeing in Utah’s public schools. I thought I’d pass them along: Utah ranks #1 in the nation for the percentage of students achieving each ACT college readiness benchmark.

We are also #1 in the percentage of students meeting all four college readiness benchmarks.

Utah holds the highest ACT composite score among all 50 states!

In addition, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores show even more good news:

4th Grade Math: Utah ranks 3rd in the nation
8th Grade Math: Utah ranks 2nd
4th Grade Reading: Utah ranks 3rd
8th Grade Reading: Utah ranks 4th

While we absolutely need to stay focused on improving outcomes for all students, especially in foundational subjects, I think it’s important to take a moment and acknowledge what’s going well.

Committee Assignments

As of early 2025, the Provo School Board redistributed committee assignments. Here’s a brief overview of the committees I currently serve on:

Comité de Política:

Policy work is one of the board’s most important responsibilities. In this committee, we meet with district leadership to draft and review policies, incorporating feedback from employees and stakeholders. Policies are then presented in public board meetings for a first reading. Afterward, drafts are posted on Provo.edu for public comment from students, parents, staff, and community members. Feedback returns to the committee for a second draft, which is then brought back to the full board for a vote.

Recent policies in process include:

Employee Code of Conduct Policy
Website Content Policy
School Guardian Policy
District Emergency Response Plan Policy
Building & Facilities Policy

Finance & Audit Committees:

We are currently developing the proposed budget for the 2025–2026 school year. In addition to ensuring financial responsibility, we’re working to make our budget booklet easier for the public to read and understand.

Parent Advisory Committee:

I’m excited to be part of this new committee, made up of parents from across Provo and representing students of all ages. Our first meeting was interactive and meaningful, allowing parents to share their views on strengths and challenges in both elementary and secondary schools. I look forward to continuing this dialogue to help improve the experience for students, parents, and staff.

Looking Ahead

I want to leave you with a question that’s been on my mind—and I’d love to hear your thoughts: What do our students truly need to thrive in a changing world?

What specific skills and abilities will help them reach goals, learn continuously, and succeed in an ever-evolving workforce and society? How can we strengthen foundational learning while also encouraging “durable” skills like communication, collaboration, critical thinking, curiosity, resilience, and a strong work ethic? I want our Provo students to leave school prepared to enter the workforce, pursue higher education, and become thoughtful, engaged contributors to their communities. If you have ideas, please reach out to me at lisabo@provo.edu.

Thank you again for your ongoing support of our schools. If you have questions, concerns, or ideas, please don’t hesitate to email, text, or call me at 617-417-1736. Working together, I KNOW we can help our students become lifelong learners and empowered citizens.

With care,

Lisa Boyce

Melanie Hall

District 2 Representative (Edgemont & Rock Canyon Boundaries)

Hello District 2,

Happy Spring! I can’t believe we are almost done with the 2024-2025 school year. I have been busy attending community council meetings and PTA meetings at Timpview, Rock Canyon, and Edgemont, and I am so impressed with the work being done at all the schools. Thank you to all our parent volunteers who help make our schools amazing!

Rock Canyon: Kim Fountain was recently named Provo City School District’s secretary of the year. Congratulations! Looking forward to their annual Extravaganza, please look at ways to attend or donate to this awesome evening. This helps fund many of the incredible activities at the school. I enjoyed helping with their Robotics competition. They have a robust after school program. Look into those for next year.

Timpview: Phase 1 is finally done! The cafeteria is the beginning of phase 2. It will be remodeled but more importantly it houses the “heart” of the school. This will be an 18 month remodel that will redo the heating, electrical, and cooling for the school. Due to this, we need to close the school during the summer time to allow the contractors to work quickly and uninterrupted. Thank you for your patience during this time.

Edgemont: Des Olsen was named Utah’s elementary assistant principal of the year. Congratulations to Edgemont! They will have their upcoming Extravaganza too. Please find ways to support them.

Each board member has the opportunity to meet with our Student Advisory Committee, led by our student board members. This is a valuable chance to hear the concerns and ideas from our students. Incoming seniors can apply to be a student school board member in the spring. This is a great opportunity for students to lead.

Timpview Construction committee has been meeting regularly to finalize the plans for Phase 2. We will be rebuilding the music wing, auditorium, SPED, arts, CTE, counseling, and main office parts of the building. The construction will begin in the south west parking lot to rebuild the CTE, music and auditorium first. This should begin at the start of January 2026.

We are receiving updates on the boundary and feasibility study. We had our first look at new boundaries. It was done with a mathematical approach to get to around 80% capacity in each school. While the group was able to achieve this, it doesn’t solve some of our problems at different schools. We will be continuing to ask questions and hopefully come up with other ideas. Please know that we understand that boundary changes can be difficult but know when we make any decisions we are trying to make the best decisions for students while also being good stewards of your money.

Thank you for always supporting our schools. We are truly blessed to have such amazing institutions with dedicated teachers and staff. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

Atentamente,

Melanie Hall

Megan Van Wagenen

District 3 Representative (Wasatch Boundary)

Happy Spring District 3!

I am always grateful for the arrival of Spring and delighted to see buds on the trees and flowers blooming around the city. Spring also gives me and my family the extra energy we need to get through the final push of the school year. My May calendar is filled with the many end-of-year activities, performances, recognitions, and celebrations that happen across the school district. One event I am especially looking forward to is the Provo City School District’s 3rd Annual This Is Us Arts Gala. This year it will be April 28th at Shoreline Middle School from 5-7:30 pm, including art from our PCSD students across all grade levels. Come enjoy a wide variety of projects from our talented students!

As the school year comes to an end, I’ve been reflecting on all the work that has been happening across the district. I am grateful for the dedication of so many of our educators and administrators on the behalf of our students, families, and community. I appreciate how our schools are aligning their work with the district’s strategic plan priorities: academic achievement, stewardship of resources, and wellness and safety.

One experience that continues to stand out in my mind is from a school community council meeting at Wasatch Elementary. This meeting was attended by the principal, a couple teachers, and parents with the purpose to discuss the School LAND Trust Plan for the upcoming school year. It was a privilege to listen to the robust discussion about their goals, assessments, and instruction and how school data informed each of these things. This particular meeting reminded me of the importance of collaboration and that we are all in this together for the benefit of our children. I strongly believe in the importance of public education and supporting all of our students and their various needs as learners. This includes working to improve where needed, while also celebrating all the good that is happening in our schools.

Please feel free to reach out to me as your school board representative. I appreciate hearing from you!

Enjoy your summer,

Meg Van Wagenen

Teri McCabe

District 5 Representative (Amelia Earhart, Sunset View & Franklin Boundaries)

Hi District 5,

The school board has had two updates from the boundary study at the Feb 11th and April 15th board meetings. No decisions have been made yet.

View the April 15 Boundary Study Report

When the board shuffled committee assignments in January my committees did not change; Foundation, Legislative, Financial/Audit, and Safety Committees.

Some Amelia parents expressed interest in participating in the interviews for principals/administration pool. Please contact Rebecca Rogers, HR Director, rebeccar@provo.edu if you want to be involved.

This is an early reminder for the 2025-2026 school year to contact your school principal to get involved with the School Community Council.

Si tiene alguna pregunta, póngase en contacto conmigo en terim@provo.edu.

¡Gracias!

Teri McCabe

Emily Harrison

District 6 Representative (Lakeview & Westridge Boundaries)

Hello District 6,

I am so happy to report a little bit about the school board. I started in January and it has been a huge learning curve to get up to speed on things going on in the school district.

I have attended some “listening tours” with Superintendent Dau. The listening tours are a chance for the superintendent to answer questions from the teachers and staff. It is also a time for me to meet teachers and administrators. I got to attend our Slate Canyon School, Westridge Elementary, Lakeview Elementary and East Bay Post High.

We have so many amazing people working in this school district and I am honored to get to know more people and see all the incredible things going on. I have also been involved with the legislative committee. I have learned about bills affecting education and most recently I have set up times for some of our legislators to visit some of our schools. The purpose of this is to help our legislators know our schools successes and concerns so they are better able to help during the legislative sessions. Thank you for the opportunity to serve on the school board. If you have any questions or concerns please reach out to me via email at eharrison@provo.edu.

Atentamente,

Emily Harrison —