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Category: Middle Schools

Published on

DATE:
August 13, 2025

TO:
All School-based Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Buddy Alger, Director, Student Services
Caleb Olson, Enrollment Consultant, Student Services

SUBJECT:
August 2026 Discipline Code Update

Two new discipline codes have been added for the 2026-27 school year. Please begin using these codes immediately:

IES: Indecent Exposure (Self) – Used when a student exposes their own private parts to others.
IEO: Indecent Exposure (Other) – Used when a student causes another student’s private parts to be exposed (through any means, including “pantsing” another student)

New discipline code cards should be arriving shortly via district mail for all administrators.

Published on

DATE:
August 13, 2026

TO:
School Administrators
Elementary Administrative Assistants
Secondary Attendance Secretaries
Secondary Registrars

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Buddy Alger, Director, Student Services
Caleb Olson, Enrollment Consultant, Student Services

SUBJECT:
Third Party Information Release Opt-Out

Parents (and students over the age of 18) have the right to opt-out of the release of their student’s directory information to third parties. This right is communicated to parents annually in the FERPA, PPRA, and Directory Information notices in the online “Registration for Schools” process.

To opt-out, parents must provide a written request to the school principal within the first ten school days of the year.
Parents (and students over the age of 18) should be encouraged to use the “Request to Withhold Information” form. The request (whether on the form or by other written means) must be uploaded to the student’s cumulative folder in Skyward. Once received and uploaded to the cumulative folder, the request is entered in Skyward on the Profile screen. The fields are located at the bottom of the screen (as shown below):

The field meanings are as follows:
• Military: Allow release of information to military recruiters
• Higher Ed: Allow release of information to post-secondary institutions
• Public: Allow release of information to local media or public source (schools must still obtain permission before posting student images or information on social media, websites, or before participation in media interviews and stories)
• District: This field is not used and can remain “YES”.
• Local: Allows use of information in items such as yearbooks, performance programs, and sports rosters.

Requests for opt-out must be processed promptly, as various agencies and entities are already submitting requests for
information. The written request can be filed in the student’s cumulative folder. When entered in Skyward, the opt-out
will remain from year-to-year until the parent submits a request reauthorizing the release of information.

Parents may opt-out after the first ten days of the school year but should be informed that information may already
have been released prior to their request.

Published on

DATE:
August 13, 2026

TO:
School Administrators
Elementary Administrative Assistants
Secondary Attendance Secretaries
Secondary Registrars

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Buddy Alger, Director, Student Services
Caleb Olson, Enrollment Consultant, Student Services

SUBJECT:
Annual Reminder of Memos from Planning & Enrollment

School staff are requested to review the following memos that contain reminders of time-sensitive information from Planning & Enrollment. The content of these memos has not changed and remains applicable to schools.

• Initial Enrollment Without Birth Certificate
• Assigning Discipline Officers and Counselors for New-to-School Secondary Students
• New Student Grade Level Placement
• Enrollment of Returning Charter School Students

Published on

DATE:
August 13, 2026

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources Melissa
Flores, General Counsel
Buddy D. Alger, Director, Student Services
Caleb Olson, Enrollment Consultant, Student Services

SUBJECT:
August 2026: 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:
• The receiving school staff member should immediately notify the site administrator. Under DP367 - District Records Management, the site administrator bears responsibility for records at each site or location.
• The site administrator (or receiving staff member, if directed) should send a copy of the subpoena or order to Caleb Olson via MoveIt the day it is received. Caleb Olson will coordinate the District’s response with the site administrator.

For subpoenas or other court orders regarding employees or employee records:
• The receiving school staff member should immediately notify the site administrator. Under DP367 - District Records Management, the site administrator bears responsibility for records at each site or location.
• The site administrator should send a copy of the subpoena or order to April Gaydosh (HR Administrator) and Melissa Flores (General Counsel) via MoveIt the day it is received. Further information will be provided to the site administrator.

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.

Published on

TO:
Principals

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning

In June 2026, administrators across the district shared excellent ideas and strategies for incorporating Portrait of a Graduate characteristics in their schools and departments. Check out these links to individual schools to reflect on the good ideas that were shared and to inspire your team to think intentionally about how POG can become part of your Academic, Behavioral, or SEW systems in your school.

Published on

DATE:
August 13, 2026 

TO:
Principals
Administrative Assistants
Attendance Secretaries
Registrars 

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Buddy Alger, Director of Student Services
Caleb Olson, Consultant, Planning & Enrollment 

SUBJECT:
2026-27 Reporting Completion of 10-Day Accounting

Students who are registered to a District school and have not attended (or been marked absent with a valid excuse) for ten consecutive school days at any point in the school year must be withdrawn from membership. This is particularly important during the first ten days of the school year so that our enrollment calculations and reporting is accurate. 

Accurate enrollment counts are used to generate future projections. Projection totals are needed very soon after ten-day adjustments are completed. To assist in preparing projections, we are asking all schools to report the completion of their 10-day drops on a Google Sheet as soon as these drops are processed. Only the staff member responsible for processing the drops should indicate completion status. The Google Sheet is available at this link and will be emailed to attendance staff again close to the 10th day of school. 

10 day drops for high schools may be processed at the end of the day on September 1, 2026.  Elementary (Grades K-6) and middle school may process drops at the end of the day on  September 2, 2026.  

Guidelines for how to process these drops are available at the links below: • No-Show Guidelines 

Published on

TO:
Principals & Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Katie Bastian, Director of Nutrition Services

Spread the word! Let your families know Free & Reduced Meal Eligibility Notification Letters are electronic going forward. Parents will receive their Free & Reduced Eligibility Letter by email and it is also available to view and print in Skyward Family Access. See the attached instructions for assistance. Contact Nutrition Services with any questions.

Published on

TO:
Administrators and Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Sarah Palmer, Director of Payroll

Annual Leave During the Contract Days Before School Starts
All Licensed Employees

8/10/26-8/17/26

Licensed employees may not use annual/personal leave during the contract days before school starts. However, they may, through correlation with the principal, arrange to exchange one of these days for another non-contract day.

Annual or Personal Leave During the First Five Days of School
All Licensed and ESP Employees

8/19/26-8/25/26    Elementary Schools
8/18/26-8/24/26    Secondary Schools
8/18/26-8/24/26    District Offices & Auxiliary Services

DP335NEG-Annual Leave-Licensed
DP335B-Annual Leave-Education Support Professionals

Per District policy, annual or personal leave days may not be used during the first five days of school, unless the leave reason is listed in policy as an exception. If any of the exceptions do apply, you must provide both the leave reason and the policy exception in the time off description. If the leave reason does not meet the policy exceptions, Licensed employees will be docked $170 and ESP employees will be docked 40% of their daily rate.

Published on

TO:
Directors, Administrators, Administrative Assistants

FROM:
McKinley Withers, HR Administrator

Tagline: Exciting updates on employee wellness initiatives!

Jordan’s Employee Wellness Initiative is taking a new form. As of July 2026, Employee Wellness is now a part of the Human Resources Team! This will expand Jordan’s ability to serve employees and meet their needs. Our mission is to empower employees to sustain their well-being. 

Administrators can expect to receive regular updates about program offerings throughout the year. Here are two exciting updates to be aware of as we kick off the school year:

  • The Employee Wellness Representative Program is being revised based on feedback from prior years. This will create opportunities for more employees to get involved. Please note the following changes:
    • During the 2026-27 school year, ANY employee can become an Employee Wellness Champion as a “Connector.” A form will go out in JEM that will invite employees to apply to become a connector. These employees will receive the latest updates and spread information about wellness offers. The goal is to create a network of Employee Wellness Champions who support a happier, healthier workplace in Jordan District. 
    • School and department leaders will select a Worksite Wellness Advocate who will attend three trainings (one in person and two virtual) and who will host a wellness initiative at your worksite with District support. Please nominate your Worksite Wellness Advocate using this link by September 4th. 
  • Our top priority as we kick off this new program is hearing from YOU. Please share your ideas and interests with us. We will be connecting with you to schedule a time to spend a few hours at your school to hear from employees who have something to share about their experience and well-being. We will be visiting all worksites in JSD throughout the Fall and will connect with administrators to arrange an appropriate time. 

Please note that the employee wellness team is available to offer professional development or resources tailored to your needs; please reach out if you are interested. Reach out to McKinley Withers (mckinley.withers@jordandistrict.org, cell: 801-448-1404) to schedule PD for your staff. 

Published on

TO:
Directors, Administrators, Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Mike Trimmell, HR Assistant Director

Vector reports allow you to see who has or has not started and who has completed crucial policies. Every principal and director has access to these reports. 

Please let us know who else you would like to have access to these reports at your site / in your department. Please fill out the form below to grant access to reports for your school / department. 

VECTOR REPORTS ACCESS FORM

Crucial Policies Due Date:
September 15, 2026

Questions:
If you have questions regarding Crucial Policies or Vector Reports, please contact Kyla Robertson or Mike Trimmell in Human Resources:

Phone: 801-567-8150

Email: kyla.robertson@jordandistrict.org / michael.trimmell@jordandistrict.org

Published on

TO:
All Principals

FROM:
Mike Anderson, Associate Superintendent 
Cherie Oliver, Jordan Education Foundation Coordinator

Fill your school pantry before students return. Here are the next Open Pantry days:

August 11th - 9am-11am
August 12th - 1pm-3pm
August 27th - 9am-11am
September 1st - After Principal’s Mtg

Published on

TO:
Principals and Administrators

FROM:
Mike Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Lisa LeStarge, Administrative Assistant

We are pleased to announce that Jan Hoegh's principal training, originally scheduled for June 2026, will now be on October 6th during our scheduled principals’ meeting.

To keep our fall schedule balanced, we have updated our November dates:
Principal Meeting will now be held on November 3.
Assistant Principal Meetings will be held on November 10 and November 17.
All meetings will still take place at the JLC.

Published on

TO:
Principals

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Jessica Stowe, Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning

We are pleased to announce the launch of our New Educator Cohorts. These dynamic support systems are designed to facilitate the growth and success of our newest general education team members.

Eligibility and Registration

  • These cohorts are specifically for general education teachers.
  • The following staff members do NOT need to register, as they receive specialized training through their respective departments: Special education teachers, SLPs, SPTs, psychologists, media specialists, and OT/PTs.

Program Benefits

  • Accelerated confidence and meaningful support for new hires.
  • Enhanced district-wide collaboration and professional networking.
  • A safe, constructive space for educators to share experiences and grow collectively.

Action Required

  • Principals, please encourage your new general education staff to participate and share the New Educator Cohort Flyer with them. The registration deadline is Aug. 28th.

Let’s create a launchpad for our new educators—because when they thrive, our whole district shines!

Published on

DATE: 
Thursday, August 6, 2026

TO:  
Middle School Administrators

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

SUBJECT: 
Fall 2026 Testing Bulletin

School administrators may view the most up-to-date testing bulletin, complete with test administration and survey administration windows, by clicking on ‘Middle School’ under the heading Testing Bulletins on the front page of the website for Assessment, Research & Accountability:

You may also access the middle school testing bulletin here or attached with this memo.

For questions about any of the federal, state or district assessments or surveys, please contact Ben Jameson in Assessment, Research & Accountability.

Published on

DATE:
August 6, 2026

TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
School Resource Officers

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Buddy D. Alger, Director of Student Services
Matt Alvernaz, School Safety Coordinator

SUBJECT:
Required Annual District SRO & Administrator Training

The annual District School Resource Officer training is scheduled for the date and time below. Attendance is mandatory for all SROs and at least one administrator per school. Additional administrators are highly encouraged and welcome to attend. No registration required.

● Date: August 28, 2026
● Time: 7:30 AM – 9:30 AM
● Location: JATC South Auditorium

If you have any questions, please reach out to Matt Alvernaz, District School Safety Coordinator, at
matt.alvernaz@jordandistrict.org or (801) 567-8623.

Published on

DATE:
August 6, 2026

TO:
All Administrators and Administrative Assistants

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources

SUBJECT:
Administrative Assignments

New Assignments effective July 2026:

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
• Rebecca Lee
Rose Creek Elementary
Rebecca Lee, previously transferred as Assistant Principal to Westvale Elementary, transferred as Assistant Principal to Rose Creek Elementary.

ADMINISTRATIVE INTERNS
• Angelica Garrido Cardenas
Heartland Elementary
Angelica Garrido Cardenas, DLI Specialist with USBE, assigned as Administrative Intern at Heartland Elementary

• Jeremiah Clark
Majestic Elementary
Jeremiah Clark, Assistant Principal at Spectrum Academy-North Salt Lake, assigned as Administrative Intern at Majestic Elementary

• Daisy DeMarco
Oquirrh Elementary
Daisy DeMarco, Teacher at Silver Crest Elementary, assigned as Administrative Intern at Oquirrh Elementary

•Camille Haynie
South Jordan Elementary
Camille Haynie, Librarian/Media Specialist at Providence Elementary, assigned as Administrative Intern at South Jordan Elementary

•Holli Mattingly
Westland Elementary
Holli Mattingly, Teacher at Copper Canyon Elementary, assigned as Administrative Intern at Westland Elementary

•Polla Slade
Foothills Elementary
Polla Slade, Teacher at Mountain Creek Middle, assigned as Administrative Intern at Foothills Elementary

•Debra Jane Smith
Westvale Elementary
Debra Jane Smith, Teacher at Riverside Elementary, assigned as Administrative Intern at Westvale Elementary

Published on

TO:
Administrators

FROM:
Mike Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Buddy Alger, Director of Student Services
Caleb Olson, Enrollment Consultant, Planning & Enrollment

The 2026-27 updates of the “Assistant Principal Directory” have been finalized and are available in Drive at the link below. You must be signed in to your Jordandistrict.org account to access the directories:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1AcCkUKXwOZ-pTenJzwX5lVI0u_JG_X84?usp=drive_link

These links will be valid all year and any updates will be saved to these locations.

If changes or corrections need to be made, you may contact Caleb Olson in Student Services or make the changes on the web version of the directories found at the previous link.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
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
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources

This is a mandatory 2-day in-person training for all administrators.

DATES:  The trainings will run June 8 & 9 or June 15 & 16, 2027.

Published on

DATE:
August 6, 2026   

TO:
Principals
All Special Educators and Service Providers

FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Brian King, Director of Special Education

SUBJECT:
SCRAM for 2026-27 School Year - October 1 Count

Special Education Team Leaders will be receiving a SCRAM report via District Mail of all students who should be receiving services through your school’s special education program(s) at the beginning of the 2026-27 school year. Please read this Memo carefully as several items have been modified/updated to include procedures implemented with our Embrace program. Once you have read through the memo, use the process you have in place at your school to include all service providers to share the report and make the necessary corrections. It is important to verify every student on the report. Each team member must initial the report confirming they reviewed it.
SCRAM reports with corrections are due no later than Friday, September 4, 2026. Please work together as a team and only return one copy of the report with all corrections for each school.

Published on

DATE:
August 6, 2026  

TO:
Principals
Head Financial Secretaries
Special Education Teachers (Resource and Self-Contained)
Speech-Language Pathologists/Technicians

FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Brian King, Director of Special Education

SUBJECT:
Special Education Budget Allocations 2026-27

Welcome back! Listed below are the special education budget allocations for Resource, Self-Contained Teachers and Speech-Language Pathologists/Technicians for the 2026-27 school year. (Cluster Leaders and school psychologists do not receive a Special Education budget.) Remember that special education monies must be spent in ways that provide the most benefit to special education students with the goal to improve student achievement and performance. The following schedule identifies the budget guidelines per educator:

BUDGET GUIDELINES PER EDUCATOR
Elem/Middle Resource/SLP Full time: $400
Elem/Middle Resource/SLP 1/2 time: $200
Elem/Middle Cluster Teacher: $550
High School SpEd/SLP/Severe Full time: $300
High School SpEd/SLP/Severe 1/2 time:   $150

CODING FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION REQUISITIONS AND NPOs:

FUND  TYPE LOCATION PROGRAM FUNCTION OBJECT
10 E (School #) 1295 1090 use object code

PLEASE REVIEW CAREFULLY WITH YOUR TEAM/SECRETARY: 

You will be receiving a budget allocation based on the above guidelines, and based on your FTE. It will be up to you, your team, and your school principal/financial secretary to keep track of how much of your budget you have spent individually. This will allow you some flexibility as a team on how your money is spent but will also require more accountability and tracking of spending on the part of you and your team. If you need to know what your school balance is, Amanda Hamblin will be able to help you. She will not be able to tell you what an individual teacher has spent. Please set up a system of tracking purchases/reimbursements that makes the most sense for your school and individual needs and is approved by your school principal. 

Please note the following:

  • Stockroom supplies are funded through the school for Resource teachers and Speech-Language Pathologists since the students are boundary students for that school. Resource teachers and Speech-Language Pathologists should work with their principals to order any stockroom supplies.
  • Equipment purchases, electronic games and/or any materials that are not instructional in nature must be pre-approved before purchase from the Special Education Department. Please submit the request to the Teacher Specialist assigned to your school, and wait for approval before purchasing these items. The request must include a detailed description of the following:
    - Description of how the purchase will benefit special education students in the program
    - Description of how it will improve the services that are provided
    - Total costs (including shipping & handling)

NOTE:  Equipment and/or electronics purchases that are not pre-approved will not be reimbursed. Reimbursement requests must include the approval from your teacher specialist.

  • Staff should limit the amount of the budget that is spent on trinkets, toys and candy. Although we recognize that special education programs require reinforcement programs for students, staff are encouraged to look at alternative options for reinforcing students so that entire budget allocations are not spent on small reinforcers and edible items. 
  • There are no reimbursements for cash, gift cards, entertainment or field trips (e.g., movie tickets, admission fees, bussing/transportation fees, etc.).
  • Personnel who are split between two locations will split their budget between the two schools they are assigned to, based on the FTE at each school.

When submitting requisitions, follow Skyward procedures and guidelines. Requisitions for the 2026-27 school year can be submitted anytime between July 15, 2026 and March 1, 2027. The final deadline for all purchasing requests, reimbursement requests, E-checks and P-Card purchases is March 1, 2027. Please be aware of this deadline and remember we will not be extending the deadline. Budgets are not carried over from one year to the next. Please remember the following:

  • Staff should work with the school secretary to process all Special Education purchases and reimbursements.
  • Be sure that you know your budget balance before submitting new orders. This includes reimbursements submitted through your school throughout the year. No orders will be processed that exceed the total budgeted allocation for each school. Remember, you will be responsible to track your individual purchase amounts as we will only track total school budget amounts.
  • Please keep in mind that this budget allocation is for use during the entirety of the 2026-27 school year and is intended to be spent throughout the year, not saved up to the last minute at the end of the year.
  • All purchase orders/requisitions should be routed from your school to Amanda Hamblin in the Special Education Department. 

If you have questions regarding your Special Education budget, please call Amanda Hamblin at (801) 567-8177 or the Teacher Specialist assigned to your school.  

Thank you for your commitment to Special Education students in Jordan District.