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TO:
Administrators

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Chris Richards-Khong, Associate Administrator of Teaching and Learning


School-Based Associates Opportunity
The Jordan School District is excited to announce the renewal of the School-Based Associates (SBA) Mini-Grant Program for the 2026–2027 school year.

This program offers past participants of the BYU/Public School Partnership (CITES) the opportunity to bring powerful, research-based learning experiences back to their colleagues. SBA serves as a catalyst for energizing staff, deepening the understanding of public education’s purpose, and fostering collaboration on the foundational principles of teaching.

These mini-grants are funded through a one-year award from the USBE and are available on a limited basis. A key feature of the program is a compensation stipend for teacher leaders who serve as site facilitators. Complete the SBA Grant Interest Form and call Chris Richards-Khong with any questions at 801-567-8158.

JSD Site Based Associate Flier Link

SBA GRANT INTEREST FORM

JSD School-based Associates Program Grant Application Guide (26-27)

TO:
Elementary Principals

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Mandy Thurman, Consultant in Teaching & Learning


2026-27 Literacy Planning Tools

We have updated our literacy resources for the 2026–2027 school year. These documents are available to assist in instructional planning and are linked directly in this memo and can also be found on the elemliteracy.jordandistrict.org website.

Available Resources:

K–2 Instructional Support

We are excited to build on the success of this year’s Planet Kindergarten sessions! To support our K–2 literacy goals, we are expanding our professional learning line-up for the upcoming year:

  • Kindergarten: We are bringing back our core Planet Kindergarten classes for those new to the grade level. For those who have already attended, we are adding new collaboration sessions to dive deeper into the content.
  • 1st & 2nd Grade: We are launching brand-new themed classes specifically designed to support your grade-level literacy targets.

These optional classes are a great way to grab new strategies for your toolkit. Registration details, dates, and themes are all included in this document.

TO:
Administrators
Counselors

FROM:
Michelle Love-Day, Director, Language and Culture Services


Join Language and Culture Services for a training session on Discriminatory Language. We will explore the impact of discriminatory language in K-12 settings and provide recommendations to administrators and counselors on how to address discriminatory language. Several resources will be shared with participants, including a facilitated discussion guide to use with students.

You can select a morning session or an afternoon session.

DATE:
April 17, 2026

TO:
Elementary School Administrators
Middle School Administrators
High School Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Stacee Worthen, School Counselor Consultant

SUBJECT:
May School Counselor Training and Professional Development


May School Counselor training and professional development opportunities. Please direct any questions to Stacee Worthen, School Counselor Consultant, at 801-567-8309.

Wednesday, May 6, CSCP Steering Meeting, District Office, Room 129
All Secondary Lead Counselors
8:00 am - 12:30 pm

Thursday, May 7, CSCP BRISC Training – Consult Call, Zoom
All School Counselors
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Thursday, May 21, Copper Hills Feeder Meeting, District Office, Room 129
Copper Hills Feeder Counselors K-12
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

TO:
District Administrators
Principals
School Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Katie Bastian, Director of Nutrition Services


Please update your registration materials and anything online or sent to families that includes outdated meal price info.

Approved Meal Prices for the Upcoming 2026 - 2027 School Year

-Elementary Breakfast: $1.30
-Elementary Lunch: $2.25
-Secondary Breakfast: $1.55
-Secondary Lunch: $2.55
-Adult Breakfast: $3.00
-Adult Lunch: $5.00
-Reduced Breakfast: $.0.30
-Reduced Lunch: $0.00 (Utah Legislature is covering the cost for reduced lunch under UT House Bill 100)

If you have questions, please contact our office at 801-567-8760

TO:
Administrators
School Principals
School Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Katie Bastian, Director of Nutrition Services


When we say school nutrition professionals are heroes, we mean it! That's why we celebrate them every spring with the National School Lunch Hero Day. Join schools across the country that are recognizing the difference these team members make for every child who comes through their cafeteria. Included are posters, coloring pages and marketing materials to celebrate.

TO:
Elementary Administrators

FROM:
JAESP


Please submit questions to be discussed by JAESP committee and Cabinet by the first Tuesday of each month. You may submit concerns or questions using the Google Form below OR you may send items to be discussed directly to Megan Cox at Rose Creek, Garett York at Southland, Jessica Stowe at Bastian or Ronna Hoffman at Oak Leaf.

Google Form Link

All items will be discussed anonymously as we work to provide clarification and solutions to concerns of elementary administrators.

Notes of the discussions will be published on a Google Doc titled "JAESP Committee Notes 2025-26" which will be shared with Elementary Administrators.

TO:  
All Administrators

FROM:
Jordan School District Cabinet Members


The Administrative Leadership Conference is scheduled for Tuesday, August 4, 2026, and Thursday, August 6, 2026, at West Hills Middle School. All administrators should plan to attend on both days.

The following are new administrative assignments:

New Assignments effective May 2026:

  • Ian Roberts, Facility Capital Outlay Manager, appointed Director of Facility Services, replacing Dave Rostrom who is retiring.

New Assignments effective July 2026:

  • Departments
    • Brian King, Assistant Director of Special Education, appointed Director of Special Education, replacing Kim Lloyd who is retiring.
    • Madelynne Karanevich, Assistant Director of Exceptional Student Services at Thompson School District in Colorado, appointed Assistant Director of Special Education.
    • Ross Menlove, Principal at Rocky Peak Virtual Elementary, appointed Assistant Director of Special Education.
    • Buddy Alger, Principal at Heartland Elementary, appointed Director of Student Services, replacing Travis Hamblin who is resigning.
    • Amber Zdunich, Assistant Principal at Elk Ridge Middle School, appointed Administrator in Student Services.
    • Melanie Dawson, Principal of River’s Edge, appointed Assistant Director in Teaching and Learning.
    • Curtis Jenson, Principal at South Jordan Middle, appointed Assistant Director in Teaching and Learning.
    • Brandon Larsen, Assistant Principal at Elk Ridge Middle, appointed Consultant in Teaching and Learning, replacing Norm Emerson who is retiring.
    • Jessica Stowe, Principal at Bastian Elementary, appointed Assistant Director in Teaching and Learning, replacing Amanda Bollinger who is resigning.
    • Jenicee Jacobsen, Assistant Principal at Herriman High School, appointed Quality Assurance Administrator in Business Services.
    • Mike Trimmell, Program Administrator in Special Education, appointed Assistant Director in Human Resources over Talent Development.
    • McKinley Withers, Health and Wellness Specialist in Student Services, appointed Administrator in Human Resources over Employee Experience and Wellness.
    • Brittany Bauer, Specialist in Human Resources, appointed Administrator in Human Resources over Data and Operations.
    • Jane Olsen, Specialist in Human Resources, appointed Administrator in Human Resources over Talent Acquisition.
  • High School
    • Kyrstin Wingert, Assistant Principal at Riverton High, appointed Principal at River’s Edge.
    • Cameron Christensen, Administrative Intern at Copper Hills High, appointed Assistant Principal at Herriman High.
    • Katie Crandall, Assistant Principal at Columbia Elementary, transferred as Assistant Principal at South Valley School.
    • John Welburn, former Assistant Superintendent at Granite School District, appointed Assistant Principal at Riverton High School.
  • Middle School
    • Rich Nielsen, Assistant Principal at Mountain Creek Middle, appointed Principal at South Jordan Middle.
    • Connie Bailey, Assistant Principal at Riverside Elementary, transferred as Assistant Principal at Elk Ridge Middle.
    • Theresa Christensen, Principal at Midas Creek Elementary, transferred as Assistant Principal at West Jordan Middle.
    • Austin Howarth, Assistant Principal at Copper Mountain Middle, transferred as Assistant Principal at Elk Ridge Middle.
    • Josh Stott, Assistant Principal at Sunset Ridge Middle, transferred as Assistant Principal at Mountain Creek Middle.
    • Ethan Walsh, Assistant Principal at West Jordan Middle, transferred as Assistant Principal at Copper Mountain Middle.
    • Laura Visaggio, Administrative Intern at Bingham High, appointed Assistant Principal at West Jordan Middle.
    • Jessica Wilson, Assistant Principal at South Valley, transferred as Assistant Principal at Sunset Ridge Middle.
  • Elementary School
    • Melissa Beck, Principal at Jordan Ridge Elementary, transferred as Principal at Blackridge Elementary.
    • David Butler, Principal at Blackridge Elementary, transferred as Principal at Elk Meadows Elementary.
    • Jayme Gandara, Assistant Principal at Foothills Elementary, appointed Principal at Southland Elementary.
    • David Hullinger, Assistant Principal at Rosamond Elementary, appointed Principal at Rocky Peak Virtual Elementary.
    • Michelle Lovell, Consultant in Teaching and Learning, transferred as Principal at Jordan Ridge Elementary.
    • Doug Pinkal, Assistant Principal at Silver Crest Elementary, appointed Principal at Aspen Elementary.
    • Teresa Rosetti, Assistant Principal at South Jordan Elementary, appointed Principal at Midas Creek Elementary.
    • Tiffany Smith, Principal at Elk Meadows Elementary, transferred as Principal at Heartland Elementary.
    • Suzie Williams, Principal at Aspen Elementary, transferred as Principal at Columbia Elementary.
    • Garett York, Principal at Southland Elementary, transferred as Principal at Bastian Elementary.
    • Ami Anderson, Assistant Principal at Midas Creek Elementary, transferred as Assistant Principal at Daybreak Elementary.
    • Kaila Anderson, Administrative Intern at Mountain Shadows Elementary, appointed Assistant Principal at Mountain Shadows Elementary.
    • Jen Arnold, Administrative Intern at Copper Mountain and Hidden Valley Middle, appointed Assistant Principal at Fox Hollow Elementary.
    • Sara Burton, Administrative Intern at Bastian Elementary, appointed Assistant Principal at Bastian Elementary.
    • Briana Cauley, Assistant Principal in Granite School District, appointed Assistant Principal at South Jordan Elementary.
    • Megan Daly, Assistant Principal at Copper Canyon Elementary, transferred as Assistant Principal at Riverside Elementary.
    • TJ Davenport, Assistant Principal at Daybreak Elementary, transferred as Assistant Principal at Silver Crest Elementary.
    • Tori Domaleski, Administrative Intern at Columbia Elementary, appointed Assistant Principal at Columbia Elementary.
    • Brooke Franks, Assistant Principal at Oakcrest, transferred as Assistant Principal at Midas Creek Elementary.
    • Jessica Hayes, Assistant Principal at River’s Edge and CDC, transferred as Assistant Principal at Herriman Elementary.
    • Bill Kenley, former Director of Talent Development in Granite School District, appointed Assistant Principal at Falcon Ridge Elementary.
    • Rebecca Lee, Administrator in Human Resources/Assistant Principal at Juniper Elementary, transferred as Assistant Principal at Westvale Elementary.
    • Adriana Lund, Administrative Intern at Antelope Canyon Elementary, appointed Assistant Principal at Antelope Canyon Elementary.
    • Jenny McNees, Administrative Intern at Herriman Elementary, appointed Assistant Principal at Copper Canyon Elementary.
    • Lauren Nalder, Assistant Principal at Westland Elementary, transferred as Assistant Principal at Foothills Elementary.
    • John Scovill, Assistant Principal at Falcon Ridge Elementary, transferred as Assistant Principal at Juniper Elementary.
    • Lara Stout, Administrative Intern at Welby Elementary appointed Assistant Principal at Welby Elementary.
    • Josh Sullivan, Assistant Principal at Fox Hollow Elementary, transferred as Assistant Principal at Westland Elementary.
    • Cherie Wilkins, Principal at Legacy Traditional Schools in Arizona, appointed Assistant Principal at Rosamond Elementary.
  • Administrative Interns
    • Ana Alcala, Teacher at Hidden Valley Middle, assigned as Administrative Intern at Oquirrh Hills Middle and South Jordan Middle.
    • Kylee Berger, Teacher at Elk Ridge Middle, assigned as Administrative Intern at Joel P. Jensen Middle and Mountain Creek Middle.
    • Jill Bodine, Teacher Specialist in Teaching and Learning, assigned as Administrative Intern at Herriman High.
    • Jennifer Heckman, Teacher at Copper Hills High, assigned as Administrative Intern at Bingham High.
    • Jeff Hill, Teacher Specialist at Copper Hills High, assigned as Administrative Intern at West Jordan High.
    • Rachel Kime, Teacher at Valley High, assigned as Administrative Intern at Copper Hills High.
    • Jessilynn Morton-Langehaug, Teacher at Herriman High, assigned as Administrative Intern at Riverton High.
    • Anna Otley, Instructional Coach at Heartland Elementary, assigned as Administrative Intern at Oakcrest Elementary.
    • Josh Rawson, Teacher in Alpine School District, assigned as Administrative Intern at South Hills Middle and Hidden Valley Middle.
    • Matthew Sheets, Teacher at Joel P. Jensen, assigned as Administrative Intern at West Hills Middle and Copper Mountain Middle.
    • Connor Sullivan, Instructional Coach at Aspen Elementary, assigned as Administrative Intern at Columbia Elementary.
    • Staci Velarde, Teacher at Monte Vista Elementary, assigned as Administrative Intern at Butterfield Canyon Elementary.

DATE: 
April 16, 2026

 TO: 
Jordan District Administrators, Directors

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Administrators of Schools

SUBJECT:
Time Schedule for the Last Day of School


Please review this memo carefully for your school dismissal time, and convey this information to your students and parents.

TO:
All Administrators
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
Jane Olsen, HR Administrator


ANNOUNCEMENT: SUMMER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Educators and Paraprofessionals of Jordan School District,
We are excited to announce a series of summer professional development opportunities provided by the University of Utah, specifically tailored for educators and paraprofessionals. These workshops and courses are designed to address popular and highly requested topics across the state, ensuring they meet the evolving needs of our educational community.

What to Expect:
Low Cost, High Impact: These opportunities are budget-friendly while offering significant value to help you enhance your skills.
Wide Range of Topics: The sessions cover a variety of subjects, ensuring there is something for everyone to deepen their knowledge and expertise.
Designed for You: Specifically created with educators and paraprofessionals in mind, these opportunities focus on practical applications and current educational trends.

For more detailed information, including session topics and registration details, please visit the University of Utah Professional Development.
We encourage all interested staff to take advantage of these offerings to further your professional journey and contribute to the excellence of our educational community.

DATE:
April 16, 2026

TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
Kindergarten Teachers

FROM:
Anthony Godfrey, Superintendent
Becky Gerber, Administrator of Schools
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Meredith Doleac, Administrator of Schools
Odette Desmarais, Administrator of Schools

SUBJECT:
Additional Preparation Days for Kindergarten Teachers


The Jordan School District Board of Education has approved up to 3 additional preparation days per session taught for each kindergarten teacher. Teachers will receive a stipend of $500 per day worked up to the maximum allowed. These days may be used any time before the start of the 2026-2027 school year to meet with parents and students and make preparations for a child’s entry into kindergarten.

Principals should meet with kindergarten teachers to inform them that the preparation days are available and make a plan for how best to utilize the time.

Please complete the Kindergarten Prep Days Stipend timesheet that will be shared with you, or can be found in your Quick Links, print a hard copy with teacher and administrator signatures, and send it in District mail to Shannel Hooper by Friday, August 28, 2026, for payment on the September paycheck. Each principal will need to submit a group timesheet for the days worked.

cc: Cabinet
Sarah Palmer, Director of Payroll

DATE:
April 16, 2026

TO:
Elementary Principals
Head Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Odette Desmarais, Administrator of Schools
Meredith Doleac, Administrator of Schools
Becky Gerber, Administrator of Schools
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools

SUBJECT:
Elementary Administrative Assistants Trade Days and Summer Hours


Elementary administrative assistants are calendared to work 206 days in a school year, including 5 days in which students and teachers are not in the building. These days generally occur on the Friday after parent-teacher conferences (2) and on grade transmittal days (3). The PTC days can already be traded for the Friday compensation day if the administrative assistant works both evenings of the PTC. They are also allowed to be paid for up to 10 additional optional days during the summer months, which are not included in their 206-day contract. These days are intended to provide additional pay for them to keep up with work, such as student enrollments, over the summer.

Beginning immediately, greater flexibility may be provided to Elementary administrative assistants by:
● Trading up to 5 non-student/teacher work days during the school year to work in the summer months, and/or
● Converting up to 5 optional summer days into pool hours for office assistants to work additional hours from July 2026 to June 2027.

Option 1
Elementary administrative assistants may choose to trade up to 5 contracted days (three grade transmittal and two PTC compensation days) to use as additional work days the following summer. This could provide up to 15 additional work days in the summer.

Option 2
Elementary administrative assistants may choose to convert up to (5) five of their optional summer days into additional pool hours for their office assistants to work July 2026 - June 2027. For every full day that is not used as an additional day by the administrative assistant, 10 hours will be added to the pool hours to be used by the office assistants to work from July 2026 to
June 2027.

Option 3
Elementary administrative assistants may choose to do a combination of options 1 and 2, not to exceed 5 trade days in the school year and not to exceed 5 converted pool hour days to use for office assistants.

Tracking
For Option 1 - Administrative assistants will have an option in the Skyward Time Off System to log the grade transmittal day as a “Trade Time - Days” with the reason code “Trade Time Day Taken Off” for building principals to approve. When they work the day in the summer, they will need to log it in the Skyward Time Off System as a “Trade Time - Days” with the reason code “Trade Time Day Worked”. This information will also need to be documented on the Pool Hours spreadsheet.

For Option 2 - A Google form will be available in the checkout materials to declare the number of optional days that will be converted to pool hours for the upcoming school year. These hours will then be documented and tracked in the Pool Hours spreadsheet by the district AOS administrative assistants.

A Google form will be distributed as part of Principal Checkout. Building principals will need to approve these converted days on the Google form and submit it as part of the checkout process.

cc: Cabinet
Sarah Palmer, Director of Payroll

DATE:
April 10, 2026

TO:
Administrators of Schools
Elementary and Secondary Principals

FROM:
Scott Thomas, Administrator of Auxiliary Services
Katie Bastian, Director of Nutrition Services

SUBJECT:
Student Meal Deficit School Responsibilities


District approved procedural guidelines for meal deficit collection can be found on the Nutrition Services website under the online payments tab.

Reminder: Funds that have been donated to the school for the purpose of paying off student meal debt cannot be used to pay off a student account and then have that account sent to collections. The purpose of specific Nutrition Services donated funds are to help families that are in the deficit. The school can use any other school funds to pay off student accounts so they can then be sent to collections.

If schools would like to send any student accounts to collections before the end of the school year, Principals must submit all Skyward Deficit Tracking documentation to our Meal Deficit Liaison by Friday, May 22nd. This will allow time for the collections process.

Per approved guidelines:
-Students transferring within the district with a deficit meal account balance of any dollar amount, must be paid at the time of transfer and is the responsibility of the school the student is leaving.

-Inactive students, graduating students or students moving up grade levels to another school (i.e., 6th to 7th, 9th to 10th and seniors) with uncollectable meal deficits, of any dollar amount, are the responsibility of the school and must be paid by the principal at the end of the current school year.

-All staff meal deficits must be paid by the end of the year. If a balance remains, it is the responsibility of the school and paid by the principal.

TO:
Administrators and Teachers

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Kaye Rizzuto, Social Studies Consultant


Theme: Celebrating the Declaration’s 250th in the Classroom
Location: Utah Valley University, Orem
In collaboration with: BYU–Public School Partnership
Dates:
• Secondary: June 8, 2026
• Elementary: June 9, 2026
• 3rd & 5th Grade Follow-Up: June 10, 2026
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Teachers Receive:
• 0.5 hours USBE credit
• $100 honorarium
• Resource materials
• Lunch & snacks
• Mileage reimbursement (for those 20+ miles from UVU)

To Register:
Scan the QR code on the attached flyer, or for more information contact Michelle Smith at SmithMi@uvu.edu.
This event is an excellent opportunity to gain resources, network, and enrich your classroom with engaging civics content. Please consider attending.

TO:
Administrators and Teachers

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Kaye Rizzuto, Social Studies Consultant


American Constitutional Government and Citizenship Standards

The draft standards for the new American Constitutional Government and Citizenship course are now available for public review and comment until April 24th. Please take time to review the proposed standards and provide feedback.

Social Studies Graduation Requirement FAQ
Draft American Constitutional Government and Citizenship Standards

Public Comment Survey:

DATE:   
Thursday, April 16, 2026

TO:  
All School Administrators

FROM:   
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Assessment, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT:  
USBE Educator Engagement Survey Results


The window for USBE’s Educator Engagement Survey closed on March 31st. Survey results are now available in Tableau. 1,255 JSD educators responded to the survey this year, which is a 38% response rate (considered a good response rate with an excellent response rate being over 40%).

Educators responded to a variety of multiple-choice and open response questions. Dashboard viewers may view results at the district and school level for the following categories:

  • Survey participation
  • Mentoring
  • Preparation and expectations
  • School leadership
  • Teacher collaboration
  • Professional learning resources
  • Career growth and advancement
  • Job satisfaction

Open responses may be viewed according to school-based permissions.

For questions about the Educator Engagement Survey, please contact Ben Jameson in Assessment, Research & Accountability.