Jordan School District
TO:
School Administrators
FROM:
Brad Sorensen, Administrator of Schools
Cody Curtis, Administrator of Schools
Odette Desmarais, Administrator of Schools
Meredith Doleac, Administrator of Schools
Becky Gerber, Administrator of Schools
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
A beverage service will be provided at 7:30 a.m. Lunch will be provided.
LOCATION WILL BE AT THE ASB - PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL START WITH ALL LEVELS IN THE AUDITORIUM AT 8:00 AM
TO:
Assistant Principals
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
The September Assistant Principal meetings will be held on September 18 (8:00-11:00am) and September 23 (8:00-11:00am). All meetings will be held in-person at the JATC-S. All assistant principals and intern assistant principals are invited. A beverage service will be provided, beginning at 7:30 am at each of the meetings. As a reminder you only need to attend one of the sessions offered. Both sessions will provide the same information. Please CLICK HERE and it will take you to the Google Doc to sign up for which day you would like to attend. If you have any questions please call Nadine Page at 801-567-8182 (x88182).
TO:
All Administrators
FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
Rebecca Lee, HR Administrator-Evaluations
Please review and mark educator evaluation due dates on your calendar. Reach out to Rebecca Lee for any questions or concerns.
TO:
All Adminstrators
FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
Brittany Bauer, HR Specialist
Salary Supplement for Highly Needed Educators (SHiNE)
We are pleased to announce the launch of the SHiNE program for Jordan School District teachers. SHiNE stipends will be awarded to teachers in designated high-need areas identified by Jordan School District. These areas will be reviewed annually and may change from year to year. The total award amount for each teacher will depend on the number of courses taught in the qualifying subjects and the number of applicants for the grant. Award amounts will be distributed based on the total grant amount received by USBE. Teachers will be notified of their award amounts via email by October 13, 2025.
Please see the information below regarding the qualifying subjects and application process for the 2025-2026 school year.
The application for the Salary Supplement for Highly Needed Educators (SHiNE) will be open August 28, 2025 and will close September 11, 2025. The application will be in Skyward Employee Access. See the attached tutorial.
2025-2026 Qualifying Course Subjects:
Special Education
Deaf Education
Mathematics
Science areas (specifically Physics, Chemistry, and Integrated Science)
Computer Sciences
Eligibility Requirements:
Only teachers are eligible for this funding per Utah Code 53F-2-504.
Teachers must hold a bachelor's, master's, doctoral degree or have taught as a Utah teacher for 10+ years in one of the content areas listed to qualify for the supplement.
Teachers must have a passing JPAS on their last 3 evaluations.
Those working less than full-time in these courses may receive a partial award adjustment.
Payment Information:
The SHiNE award amount will be included in each eligible teacher’s monthly paycheck as a stipend, divided equally across the remaining pay periods for the 2025-2026 school year.
Before submitting an application, please review Policy DP382 regarding program details and qualifications.
DATE:
August 26, 2025
TO:
All Principals
All Special Education Staff
School Psychologists
Elementary School Counselors
FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Melanie Dawson, Program Administrator of Behavior
SUBJECT:
ASPEN Training for Special Education Personnel 2025-2026
ASPEN training will continue to be required during the 2025-2026 school year for all licensed special education teachers, SLPs, school psychologists, elementary school counselors, as well as all Education Support Professionals (ESPs) in SEB and Autism self-contained support classrooms who do not have a current Mandt certification. Staff members working in any other special education setting may choose to attend ASPEN at the discretion of their building administrator and at the cost of their school.
Please see the attached memo for dates and registration information as well as other pertinent information. For questions, please contact: stephanie.johnson@jordandistrict.org or cassidy.hansen@jordandistrict.org
TO:
Administrators
FROM:
Michelle Love-Day, Director of Language and Culture Services
The Language & Culture Services team is excited to announce a training on ways to conduct proper home visits. Principals, assistant principals, faculty, or staff are invited to attend. Teachers, please get permission from your principal before signing up. The team wants to ensure families are connected to school and the community. Research shows that home visits are effective ways to get parents active in our schools. Come to this half day training to learn more skills for effective communication.
Contact Toni Brown for more information.
TO:
Administrators
Teachers, Staff, and JSD community
FROM:
Michelle Love-Day, Director of Language and Culture Services
The Language & Culture Services team is excited for the annual Fall Family Fair on Thursday, Sept. 18 from 4 - 7 p.m. at the Viridian Event Center in West Jordan. All Jordan District students and their families are invited to come celebrate back to school with us and become familiar with the District and the community.
Come out with your family, enjoy snacks from the food trucks, win prizes, and get to know the District community.
DATE:
August 28, 2025
TO:
All Administrators
School Counselors
School Social Workers
School Psychologists
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Caleb Olson, Consultant, Planning & Enrollment
SUBJECT:
Child Abuse/Neglect Reporting Process
Utah Code 62A-4a-403 requires any individual with suspicion that a child is being abused or neglected to report their suspicion to the appropriate authorities. District policy AS70 – Child Abuse-Neglect Reporting by School Personnel further clarifies that employees should make an initial report of their suspicions to their principal/administrator (or designee). The principal/administrator (or designee) and employee should together make contact with the Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) and/or local law enforcement to report the suspicion.
If an oral report is made to DCFS via telephone call, there is no longer a need to also send a paper copy of the form to DCFS (note: DCFS has recently introduced an online reporting form; however, school employees are still required by DCFS to make their reports via phone call).
Administrators and employees should understand that reports made in good faith are immune from civil or criminal liability. Additionally, the responsibility for proving or verifying the suspicion lies with DCFS and law enforcement; if there is a question about whether or not an incident or situation should be reported, it should be reported.
USBE Board Rule R277-401-3(1) also requires employees to cooperate with investigations relating to charges of child abuse and neglect, to make no contact with the parents or legal guardians being questioned by DCFS or law enforcement about possible child abuse, and to maintain appropriate confidentiality. If a parent contacts a school employee with questions about if their child was interviewed by or reported to DCFS, the parent should be directed to contact DCFS. School employees may not provide additional information.
The process for reporting and documenting suspicions of child abuse and neglect should be as follows (see Policy AS70 for additional details):
The Report of Child Abuse or Neglect form (available at this link) has been updated to clarify this process and to indicate that a paper copy should no longer be sent to DCFS. The updated form is a fillable PDF. Schools may destroy any copies of previous forms.
DATE:
August 28, 2025
TO:
All Administrators
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
McKinley Withers, Health and Wellness
SUBJECT:
Wellness Room Staff PLC
JSD Administrators,
As we begin the new school year, we would like to invite your wellness center staff to attend District Wellness Center PLCs. Our first PLC of the year will be on Friday, September 5th, from 2:00-3:30 pm at Silver Crest Elementary in the Wellness Center. Your Wellness Center staff can RSVP to this link.
The remaining PLCs will be:
The Health and Wellness Team looks forward to helping your school with your wellness efforts this coming year. Please share the attached survey with your Wellness Center staff so we can personally invite them to our meetings.
DATE:
August 28, 2025
TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
School Safety Specialists
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Matt Alvernaz, School Safety Coordinator
SUBJECT:
September Drill Preparation (Fire)
*DRILL MUST BE CONDUCTED WITHIN THE FIRST 10 DAYS OF SCHOOL*
Our monthly drill preparation will be held on September 3rd at 3:00 PM with a second session at 3:30 PM. This month we will be covering FIRE. Each School Safety Specialist is expected to attend along with administrators assigned to oversee school safety. All other administrations are welcomed to attend as well. The meeting is also opened to any staff who may be interested. Most of you will have likely already completed this drill prior to the training so it will be more of a debrief and clarification as needed. (see original JAM on July 30, 2025)
After each monthly training all school staff should be trained by the administrator over school safety and the School Safety Specialist. After being trained each month, teachers should educate their students on each safety drill. Additionally, schools should communicate with their patrons regarding Standard Response Protocol(s) (SRP) and the drill being conducted each month. Videos, handouts, and other resources can be found at the link(s) below.
Information regarding the FIRE response protocol can be found in the Jordan School District Safety Manual on pages 32-33. We will discuss how to implement and execute the drill. This will be an opportunity to ask questions and share ideas amongst the schools.
We will be holding this meeting over Zoom so please join using this link.
TO:
Principals
FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Amanda Bollinger, Associate Administrator, Teaching & Learning
Amy Lloyd, K-12 Math Consultant, Teaching & Learning
Principals,
The state has published a draft of the new math standards for public review and is seeking input from educators. We shared this information with teachers and have encouraged them to review the proposed standards and share their feedback through the survey. The survey window closes on September 17, 2025.
Draft P-12 Utah Core Mathematics Standards
Submit comments in this survey
Their expertise and perspective are essential in helping shape math education in our state. This is a meaningful opportunity to influence the standards adoption process at the state level.
Thank you for your support!
TO:
Administrators
Teachers
FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Kaye Rizzuto, Social Studies Consultant
September brings important opportunities for civic learning and commemoration in Utah’s public schools. This year is extra special as we honor America 250, marking the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States. The Utah State Legislature has designated September as American Founders and Constitution Month, asking schools to recognize the contributions of the Founding Fathers and key founding documents throughout the month. In addition, federal law designates September 17 as Constitution Day, and all schools are asked to incorporate instruction on the U.S. Constitution on or around this date.
State legislators have also requested that schools provide age-appropriate remembrance of September 11. Please ensure that students experience meaningful, grade-level-appropriate learning activities to honor this day. To support your efforts, grade-level social studies materials for all of these observances are available at: https://socialstudies.jordandistrict.org/american-founders-month/
Our goal is to foster meaningful reflection, collaboration, and deep understanding of America's founding principles and history. Thank you for your commitment to civic literacy and for making these important experiences impactful for all students. If you need additional support or have any questions, please feel free to reach out.
TO:
All Principals
FROM:
Dan Ellis, Director of Accounting
Here is an updated sheet showing school programs by most restricted to least restricted. The intent of the sheet is to help with planning the use of funds and provide some general guides on what is allowed in the various programs. If you have any questions please contact Dan Ellis in Accounting 801-567-8389.
TO:
Administrators
Administrative Assistants
FROM:
Sarah Palmer, Director of Payroll
Please see the document below.
DATE:
August 21, 2025
TO:
All Administrators
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
Melissa Flores, General Counsel
Travis Hamblin, Director, Student Services
Caleb Olson, Enrollment Consultant, Student Services
SUBJECT:
August 2025: Responding to Subpoenas and Other Orders
Subpoenas and other court orders received by schools require immediate attention and response. There are legal requirements for responding that must be met, meaning schools cannot respond on their own. When school staff wait to request assistance in responding, even if only by a day or two, the District’s ability to either challenge the subpoena or meet the compliance deadline is hampered.
Please note that a subpoena is different from a record request. Record requests from the parent/guardian or eligible student can be processed by the school. In the event of confusion as to what the request is, contact Caleb Olson.
For subpoenas or other court orders regarding student records:
For subpoenas or other court orders regarding employees or employee records:
For other court orders, including search warrants or orders where the staff is unclear as to the purpose, the site administrator should provide a copy of the order to General Counsel Melissa Flores via MoveIt AND should make contact via phone or text as soon as reasonably possible.
DATE:
August 21, 2025
TO:
All School Administrators
FROM:
Scott Thomas, Administrator of Auxiliary Services
Paul Bergera, Director of Transportation
SUBJECT:
School Bus Space Available Process
Dear Administrators,
Each year parents must reapply for a space available permit for their student(s). This process will no longer be done by filling out a paper form issued by the school.
All space available permit requests will now be submitted online. Please see the instructions/tutorial on how parents can access and complete this online form.
Space Available Guideline Reminders:
DATE:
August 21, 2025
TO:
All Principals, Jordan School District
Administrative Assistants
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Jordan District Nurses
SUBJECT:
CPR/First Aid/AED Certification
Jordan School District requires that at least 3 full-time employees in each building be certified in CPR, First Aid, and AED. Most certifications are valid for 2 years. It is also recommended that employees who will have direct responsibility for student health and safety be CPR/First Aid/AED certified. This may include front office staff, playground aides, hall monitors, P.E. teachers, etc. It is also recommended that you keep a list of current CPR/First Aid/AED certified staff members by all main phone lines where calls for emergency help may originate. A template is attached.
CPR, First Aid, and AED training and certification is now available to district employees in an online format through the National Safety Council (NSC). The attached document will outline the steps necessary to complete the online portion of the course. Information can also be accessed by going here: CPR & First Aid. The cost of the course is $29.95 and should be paid by the employee at the time of registration. Schools may provide reimbursement for the course, if funds are available, by following appropriate pre-approval and reimbursement procedures.
Once the online course is completed, employees may sign up to complete their certification by attending a 2 hour skills check session with our district nurses. To sign up for a skill check, you will need to register at Jordan Digital Learning under CPR Alert Course. All skill checks must be completed within 90 days of sign-up for the online course. The dates and times for the skill check sessions are listed on the attached flyer.
Please complete the attached CPR/First Aid/AED certification form and return it to the Nursing Services office (Nadine Page) by November 14, 2025.
TO:
Current Directors
Consultants
Assistant Principals
FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
Current JSD Administrators serving as directors, consultants, or assistant principals are eligible for principal assignment consideration at any time; however Cabinet will conduct an optional interest interview every four years for current JSD Administrators.
Eligibility:
Must be a current director, consultant, or assistant principal.
Have not been interviewed for a Principal position in the last four years.
Interested and eligible current JSD Administrators should complete the application in Frontline.
Additional Information:
The application window is from August 15th through October 15th, 2025, at 11:59 P.M.
Selecting a preference for a principal assignment in an elementary, middle, high, special education, or District Office area is required.
Interviews will be held on November 21, 2025
TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
Administrative Assistants
FROM:
Katie Bastian, Director of Nutrition Services
Attached are the following:
-The Skyward Meal Deficit Checklist is live in Skyward now and we will be sending out training very soon!
-Before a student can be sent to the Meal Deficit Liaison for collections, the previous tasks must be completed and documented in full by the Clerk and Principal.
-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.
-What to do if a student account already exceeds $100?
The collection process must start from the beginning of the process, but can be accelerated due to the monetary value. Documentation of the entire process is required.
-Clerks need to make 1 phone call and document it.
-Principals need to make 1 phone call and send 1 letter and document it.
-At that point, the principal can choose to send the student’s account to the Meal Deficit Liaison if no payment has been made.
-If the Meal Deficit Liaison is not able to collect payment from parents, meal deficits must be paid in full by the school before the account can be sent to collections. Collection agencies will retain a percentage of funds collected for their services. The percentage will come out of the funds returned to the school.
-Because this process and support position has just been created, and we are in a new school year, schools must help us by documenting the school-based steps prior to submitting the request for collections.
TO:
All Principals
All Admin Assistants
FROM:
Kurt Prusse, Director of Purchasing
Central Warehouse Reminder: Inventory Order Verification, Returns, and Exchanges
To help the Central Warehouse better serve you and ensure smooth operations, please keep the following in mind when receiving inventory deliveries:
For Central Warehouse questions or assistance, please contact:
