The Uintah School Board will meet on Monday, Sept. 21, at 5 p.m. to decide whether to begin the legal process for considering the closure of Uintah Middle School after the 2026-2027 school year.

Again, this meeting is the beginning of a process that is outlined in Utah law. A final decision about UMS won’t be made at this meeting.

If the board votes on Monday to approve the proposed motion, that will launch the 90-day study and public input period that is required by state law. During that 90-day period, district staff will study the feasibility of moving 7th and 8th graders from UMS to Vernal Middle School next school year and moving 6th graders back to elementary schools. This reorganization is being considered because the district has experienced declining enrollment and is projecting continued enrollment losses over the next decade. This is not unique to the district. It is a national trend.

A few important things to note:

• There is a 90-day study period required by state law, so the board can’t make any final decisions about UMS on Monday. A decision about the school’s future can’t be made until December.

• The mandatory 90-day study period allows for the gathering of information and community input before a final decision is made.

Monday's meeting is open to the public. It is a procedural meeting: the board will decide whether to begin the process of studying a school reorganization. Any decision about closing Uintah Middle School will not be made until December, after the state-mandated 90-day study period and public input process are complete.

The special business meeting will take place in the boardroom at the Uintah School District Office, 826 S. 1500 East, Naples. As required by law, the agenda has been posted on the district's public meeting portal. It includes a Zoom meeting link for those who wish to attend online. Please note, the district is unable to provide technical support for Zoom. Technical issues that arise during the meetings may not be fixable in real time.