Emery High School principal Larry Davis welcomed the Emery County School Board to the school for the monthly meeting. Davis told the board, “Thank you for the opportunity to talk about Emery High. Thanks for the confidence you have shown to me by making me principal.”
“We are off to a good start this year. Mr. Mecham and I are being welcomed. We look to each other for a lot of things. We have put together a program for Emery High we think will help,” said Davis.
Davis handed each board member a packet of material listing the mission at Emery High, along with the desired results he is reaching for from students, and the administrative goals for the school year. The 12 administrative goals for EHS this year are:
1) Apply relevant data toward improving instruction and designing academic enhancement programs for students who are academically at risk.
2) Update the school policy manual.
3) Conduct a thorough safety inventory, practice emergency procedures, create procedures where necessary, and be proactive in regard to all emergency possibilities.
4) Reorganize the school’s community council and comply with all requirements of councils as set by law.
5) Update the key inventory.
6) Update technology in the classrooms.
7) Propose an academic probation program and revise the citizenship program to increase accountability on the part of students for both academic and citizenship grades.
8) Create a probation program that addresses matters specific to probation placement.
9) Address cultural needs in order to: improve work ethic; create teamwork and collegiality; instill pride in the school; get support for policies, rules and procedures; establish a feeling of security and well being; and make the school a community learning center.
10) Complete the District’s performance enhancement program while also completing the District’s certified and classified employee evaluation program.
11) Make the school drug free, tobacco free, and alcohol free.
12) Improve professional development opportunities for faculty and staff.
Davis finished up his presentation with the enrollment number for EHS. As of Sept. 29, the enrollment is 470 students, with 53.5 full and part time teachers and staff members.
Board president Laurel Johansen thanked Davis for his presentation and began other board actions. Supt. Kirk Sitterud gave his report. He requested the adoption of a resolution to address the flaws in the No Child Left Behind Program. This resolution comes from the American Association of School Administrators and requests federal funding and more specific targets for low income and special needs students for the NCLB program. The board approved signing the resolution which will now be sent on to the Congressional delegation.
Sitterud also announced the release of the AYP and UPASS information. Every school in the district made UPASS and only one school, Castle Dale Elementary, did not make AYP. AYP is determined by 45 categories for each school. If a school misses only one category, as in the case of Castle Dale Elementary, they are determined not to make AYP.
Joel Hatch from the Emery County Economic Development Council made a presentation during the public comments portion of the meeting. She explained the educational summer camps program which was started by the economic development council. The programs includes numerous educational camp opportunities for students. In the past, the school district has given a grant to the council for promotion of the camps.
Hatch suggested that providing the camps is not within the council’s scope of duties. She suggested the school district might take over this educational opportunity from the economic development council. Supt. Sitterud explained to Hatch this subject has been discussed in the past. “We simply do not have the personnel resources to provide these camps. The camps are a great opportunity for students, but our problem is personnel resources,” said Sitterud. “We have no problem with helping with the advertising and giving scholarships to the camps,” he concluded.
Sitterud suggested approaching the Emery Recreation District or a private entity, for help putting the camps together.
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