Personnel, Salaries, and Taxes – Highlights from June’s Board meeting

Budgets, personnel, and building projects were the themes of June’s meeting of the Morgan School District Board of Education. Here are your highlights.

Morgan County School District continues to provide multiple pathways for students to earn their high school diplomas. Tuesday night, the board celebrated three graduates of Morgan’s Adult Ed. program and two graduates of the online program. 

Next fall, the district will see the return of our alternative program, Morgan Rise, formerly the Morgan Unified Learning Center, with Destiny Field taking the reins as Student Intervention Services Director, drawing from her years in special education, counseling, and administration to provide support for at-risk students. This alternative program will also replace Morgan Online.

Trina Wilkinson will serve as the new principal at Morgan Elementary School. Trina has been serving as our reading intervention specialist, as well as coordinating various professional development programs for the district.

Other administrative changes in the district include Luke Thomas’s move to principal at MHS, where he has served as the instructional coach and a vice principal. Josh Sargent, from North Summit, has been hired to fill the vice principal position at the high school.

District finances are sound. In addition to the high rating from our recent audit, the district continues to benefit from the community’s integrity in paying property taxes, which are also used to fund county services. Additionally, the Wasatch Peak development is increasingly adding to the tax base, as are several other developments around the county. As a result, the district and county are negotiating “floating down” the tax rate again this year. The rate will be approved after the Board hold a final Truth in Taxation meeting in August.

Projects around the district include updates to the roof drains, flooring, and playground at MES; the ongoing remodeling of the shop at MMS; upgrades to the sound system and seating in the auditorium at MHS; and electronic locks throughout the district for improved security. 

Despite the teacher shortage across the state and nation, Morgan is pleased to announce that all certified openings that were posted in the spring have been filled. The Board is also discussing ways to make MCSD's salaries more competitive with neighboring school districts. In the past, they have focused on compensation compared to similarly sized districts, and we do not have the tax base—retail and/or second homes—of our neighbors. However, they are weighing the feasibility of an additional $5,000 in compensation for each certified staff member. They will reach a decision by the August meeting.

A special thanks to Dr. Jacobs and Dr. Andreasen, who are retiring at the end of this month: your impact on our students and community is indelible.

The next Board meeting will be on August 8, 2023. λ