On Monday night, the Uintah School Board voted 4-1 to begin the process required by state law to consider the potential closure of Uintah Middle School at the end of the 2026-27 school year. Board member Robin McClellan cast the dissenting vote.
Utah law requires at least 90 days’ notice and opportunities for public input before a board can vote to close a school. The district understands this issue is concerning to many families, students, and staff, and is committed to keeping our community informed throughout the process.
To that end, the district has created a page on its website to serve as the central source for documents, meeting dates and recordings, and other information about the UMS Closure Study. It will be updated regularly. The page can be found at https://www.uintah.net/o/usd/page/ums-closure-study or by clicking on the UMS Closure Study button on the district website’s homepage.
The board will take public comment on the issue during its regularly scheduled business meetings on Oct. 7, Nov. 11, and Dec. 9. It will also take comment during a dedicated public hearing on Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. at UMS, and during a special business meeting on Dec. 22, where the board is expected to decide the future of UMS. Stakeholders can also call or email board members directly. Their phone numbers and email addresses are available on the UMS Closure Study webpage and on the district website under the School Board tab.
We appreciate your engagement as our district works through this important study and decision-making process.
Securly Home Available for Parents, Guardians
On Sept. 15, USD parents and guardians received an email inviting them to download the Securly Home app and create an account. The district has used Securly to monitor students’ online activity on district-owned devices for the past three years. As outlined in device-use agreements signed during registration, all online activity on district devices is monitored for student safety. Securly Home extends this capability as an option for parents and guardians.
For those who choose to enroll, Securly Home allows them to:
View online activity on the student’s district-owned device, including recent web searches, sites visited, and videos watched
Turn internet access to the device off and on to easily manage time spent online
Receive notifications when online activity is flagged for potential bullying, self-harm, or other concerning content
Set up weekly email reports for a snapshot of their student’s online activity
The app offers multi-language support and defaults to the language set on the user’s device.
Securly Home enrollment is optional. Parents and guardians who prefer not to use the app can decline without any impact on their student’s device access or district services. The monitoring applies only to district-owned devices; personal devices are not affected.
If you are the parent or guardian of a USD student and have not received a Securly Home invitation email, please check your spam or junk folder. For questions about Securly Home or technical support, contact the Uintah School District Technology Helpline at 435-781-3111.
The Drowsy Chaperone – Tickets on Sale
Tickets are on sale now for the Uintah High Theatre production of The Drowsy Chaperone. The show is about a middle-aged, asocial musical theater fan who, feeling “blue,” decides to play a record of his favorite musical, The Drowsy Chaperone, for the audience. As the record plays, the show — a parody of 1920s American musical comedy — comes to life onstage, with the man wryly commenting on the music, story, and actors. The fictional musical in the recording features the intrigues of an about-to-be-wed oil tycoon and a Broadway starlet. The show runs Oct. 23-24, Oct. 26-27, and Oct. 29-30 in the UHS auditorium. Curtain time is 7 p.m. for all performances. For tickets, visit uintah.ludus.com.
Celebrations
Congratulations to the students and staff at Davis Elementary! For the second consecutive year, the Dragons have achieved i-Ready’s Super Stretch status in mathematics. Only 71 schools in the country reached the mark this year.
i-Ready is an online program that helps teachers assess and personalize learning for students in reading and math. Stretch growth is the amount of growth a student should target to get on the path to grade-level proficiency. For students who placed below grade level on their first diagnostic, it sets a path to proficiency; for students who placed on or above grade level, it helps them maintain advanced proficiency. To earn Super Stretch status, at least 55% of a school’s students must meet their stretch growth targets.
The school is planning an assembly to celebrate this prestigious back-to-back achievement.
Weekend Events
Uintah High Football takes on the Miners at Park City High tonight in a region game. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The game will be streamed live on the Park City High Hudl Fan website.
The Uintah High Marching Band and Color Guard compete on Saturday at the Oquirrh Mountain Band Invitational at Herriman High School. The Utes are scheduled to take the field at 2 p.m. For tickets, click HERE. The band has two fundraisers going on now, selling fleece blankets and Mexican vanilla, with its annual Mattress Sale fundraiser planned for Oct. 17 at UHS. To support these fundraisers, visit this post on the Uintah Bands Facebook page or the Uintah Band website and click on the Support Uintah Music button.
GO UTES!