Community Newsletter: Introducing 2025-2030 Strategic Plan

Every residential address in Provo should see a Community Newsletter from Provo City School District during the holidays.  This is a summary of things happening in our district.  Below is the information the newsletter contains. 

Mission

Welcome | Educate | Inspire

Vision

The Provo City School District is a vibrant learning environment where all students become lifelong learners and engaged community members.

Core Values

Belonging

Creating a welcoming and supportive environment where differences are valued and everyone feels respected and included.

Growth

Striving for academic rigor, innovative teaching methods, and continuous improvement to foster student success and achievement.

Empowerment

Providing tools, resources, and opportunities to build confidence, develop capacity, and achieve greatness.

Creativity

Encouraging innovation, curiosity, imagination, and critical thinking.

Community

Establishing strong partnerships between schools, families, and the broader community to enhance educational experiences and address needs of students effectively.

Priorities

1. Academic Achievement

Increase the percentage of students achieving proficiency in core subjects (M/LA/S) by 15% within 5 academic years. Increase the percentage of students who meet college & career readiness benchmarks (ACT >18, Graduation, Adv Courses) by 5% within 5 academic years.

2. Wellness & Safety

Increase the number of students and families who feel that our schools and district provide welcoming and supportive environments. Reduce the number of major offenses tied to bullying, harassment, discrimination, school safety, and physical aggression to 4% or lower across all student groups by 2030. Decrease the number of students who are chronically absent.

3. Stewardship of Resources

Increase the retention of high quality teachers between years 5 and 15 by 15% over 5 years.

Improve communication about decision-making, resource allocation, and facilities management by 15% over 5 years as measured by specific survey data.

• District Strategic Plan 2025-2030

District Accountability Report

• Watch Superintendent Dau’s report

Here are some highlights from the report:

Factors in Success in PCSD

• Principals in classrooms
• Specific feedback given to teachers about instruction
• Teacher teams planning together and looking at data
• Teachers providing specific feedback to students
• Teachers helping students make specific goals so they can track their progress
• Progress monitoring all students

Areas of Focus

• Literacy (reading and writing) is key to success in all other subjects. Our students are under performing, and systemic structures are needed to address this.
• Supporting our teachers to meet the needs of our multilingual students to ensure that their language skills transfer into academic success in the areas of reading, writing, math, and science.
• A sizable majority of our students make one year’s worth of growth each year they are in school. However, if a student is behind, we are struggling to get them caught up.
• Rigor across the board needs to increase.

Access the State Data Gateway. Once at the site you can select the school you would like to view.

District Construction Update

The school board heard the latest construction update at the November 12, 2024 Board Meeting.

Wasatch Elementary School

• Construction is on track to be completed between January 10 and January 15.
• Outside landscaping is being completed
• The building now has permanent power
• Carpet and millwork has been delivered and is being installed

Timpview High School

• Construction of this phase is on track to be completed by February 19
• The sod is now installed on the softball field
• The gym flooring has been delivered and is acclimating
• Work continues on the mechanical area of the building

See the latest updates on all our construction projects.

SchoolMessenger and SafeArrival

Provo City School District has a new notification system SchoolMessenger. This system will help you stay connected to your student’s school and the district. SafeArrival, within the SchoolMessenger app, is an absence management system that improves student safety and makes it easy for you to let the school know about your child’s absence. Here are some key things to note:

• SchoolMessenger and SafeArrival use the Primary Contact Info field in PowerSchool to contact parents. Please ensure that your email listed in the Primary Contact Info section of PowerSchool is the same for all of your students AND is the email address used to create an account on the SchoolMessenger App. If changes are made, please log out of the app and log back in, or go into the app, go to contact and click sync to update the program.
• The app cannot be used to excuse students early from school. If you need to check you student out early, please contact the school office.
• Absences may only be excused in the app until 11:45 p.m. on the day of absence. Any other absences must be excused by calling the school.

Learn more about SchoolMessenger and the SafeArrival absence management system.

New Electronic Device Policy

The PCSD Board of Education has approved an electronic device policy to be implemented January 7, 2025. Our goal is to establish a time and place for using devices in our schools.

Policy 4200: Electronic Devices Summary

This policy addresses the use of electronic devices including cell phones, smart watches, and earbuds/headphones.

Elementary

• Devices must remain on a mode where notifications cannot be received and are to be in backpacks and not on their person during school hours.

Middle School

• Devices must remain on a mode where notifications cannot be received and are to be in backpacks and not on their person during school hours.

High School

• Devices must remain on a mode where notifications cannot be received and be in backpacks and not on their person during class periods.
• Devices may be used before and after school, during class changes, and at lunch.

Enforcement

• A series of escalating enforcement measures will be taken.

Policy 4200: Electronic Device

Reports From School Board President Rebecca Nielsen

• Read the full message from your representative.

Dear Constituents,

Here are some important school-related items particular to our NW area of Provo:

Bus Behavior Matters

Ensuring a safe and positive student environment includes good behavior on our school buses. Please talk with your children about the importance of respecting drivers and fellow students. Let’s work together to promote kindness and responsibility during every ride.

Join the Community Connection Committee

We are seeking committed parents and community members to join our Community Connection Committee. This is a valuable opportunity to share your insights, voice your opinions, and help shape the future of our school district. Your involvement is key to making meaningful progress for our schools. See the ad at the bottom of page.

Planning for Dixon Middle School

The future of the Dixon Middle School site is under careful consideration, and we’ve narrowed the options to three possibilities. Stay informed about the ongoing discussions and share your preferences to help guide this important decision. Your input matters!

• PCSD Board of Eductation
• Learn more about serving on a PCSD committee and apply

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