Board Meeting August 17, 2010

A few items of note from the School Board Meeting:

• Jennifer Fisher appointed Gifted and Talented Consultant
• Something about an employee grievance - to "pay the former lane wages until policy dictates otherwise"
• Approved Acceptable Use, Long-term Disability, and Group Health policies
• Superintendent comments: ALPS now stands for Advances Learning Placement Schools, Herriman High School will open "mostly done", still need 3 elementary and 8 secondary teachers
• West Jordan Middle School pool closure drew about 100 patrons
• JSD has committed $1 million in capital money to Kearns Oquirrh Park Fitness Center to cover the Olympic outdoor pool so West Jordan High and Copper Hills High swim teams will have priority for practice times there
• Several people spoke to not closing the pool
• John Taylor said net cost is $125,000 per year
• Petition with 430 signatures to not close West Jordan Middle School pool
• One patron spoke to hazardous busing in Herriman
• Herriman High will not be offering a full range of AP classes or Debate - need to find qualified teachers and have enough students interested to offer these classes in the future
• Jobs bill - ~$9 million for JSD, State Superintendent Shumway expects governor to apply for the money, legislature must vote to accept the money, then money will come to districts, money must be spent by September 1, 2012
• JEA Negotiations - Superintendent Newbold summarized what has happened, hearing will run from August 23 to September 17. If there is no settlement at that point, there is no requirement to continue meeting to negotiate, though we could. Teachers would work without a contract, which means we continue to teach on the provisions of the previous contract.

That's about it. I would just add that we need to be like the 100 people who came to support not closing WJMS pool. JEA needs 100 members at every School Board Meeting with some of those signed up to speak.