School board hears from Chancellor Straquadine

By Danyale Service
Contributor

The July school board meeting began with Emery High Principal Steven Gordon presenting fees for attendance and tobacco violations. Last year there were 50 court referrals from Emery High. Principal Gordon proposed a pilot program for this upcoming year that when a student has unexcused absences then that student will have to pay $5 per unexcused absence or complete a certain number of probation hours. As of right now, Emery High allows students to have six parent excused absences. Principal Gordon also proposed a pilot program regarding tobacco violations. For the first offense, a student can be charged $50. Any offense made after will be $100. This program will be initiated in hopes to wake up the students. Students can also be put on probation, activity card withheld, and walking down the aisle at graduation revoked.
Several names have been submitted for approval including Christian James as a CNP at Huntington Elementary, Charlotte Morris as an Assistant Tennis Coach at Emery High School, and Brandon McCandless as an Assistant Football Coach. Many positions have been opened in the Emery County School District including a part time secretary/ registrar in the counseling department, CTE teacher, and an ELL Aide at Green River High School. Also positions at Cottonwood Elementary, Huntington Elementary and Canyon View Middle School are now open. To find out more about these positions please visit the Emery County School District website.
Every two years the board appoints the superintendent, which they approved Larry Davis for the next two years.
The Rural Schools Conference that was held at SUU on July 11-13 had 50 participants from the Emery District including teachers and administrators. Stephanie Roper was awarded the rural Elementary teacher of the year and congratulated by Governor Herbert.
Gary Straquadine, acting chancellor of USUE, presented concurrent enrollment ideas and USUE Pathway to the Emery County School District board. Not every student can enter concurrent enrollment. Students must be a junior or senior and have a 3.0 GPA. Straquadine explained they are trying to expand the concurrent enrollment classes. Last year the anatomy/physiology concurrent enrollment class was shut down due to no lab. However, plans are underway for a CNA course at the high school and they are still working out the details. Straquadine said he wants to “work and invest in the Emery County community and has support from USU to do this.”
The rumor of USU pulling out from Green River High School has finally been put to rest. USU wants to reinvest in the students in Green River because USU values small communities. Straquadine said he is “fighting to get Green River back on the map”.
Several amendments were made including, Student Attendance and Truancy which included excusable absences due to mental stress.
The Opening Institute and Benefits Fair will be held Aug. 20. The technology committee’s next meeting will be held Aug. 7 at 9 am. The Stem ED/CTE Committee finalized the funding for the robotics program and the Juvenile Justice Committee will be established for the school year of 2018-19. The next Emery School District Board meeting will be held Aug. 8 at 7 p.m. at the District office.