Students are returning to school this month, and some will see changes, including new rules and new administrators.
The first day of classes in the Park City School District is Monday, Aug. 18, and the district’s new and updated logos for all schools will be on display. A welcome back concert to celebrate the staff and community will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Canyons Village on Thursday, Aug. 21.
The district theme is, “One Park City: Where Learning is Personal and Every Path is Possible.”
Lyndsay Huntsman, who was named superintendent in January, said the district continues to align its work to a five-year strategic plan that is entering its third year.
Goals include 80% of multilingual students reaching English language proficiency within five years of enrolling in the district; 90% of students reading on grade level by the end of third grade; 90% of students reaching proficiency by the end of eighth grade math; 75% of students meeting certain benchmarks for English and reading; and a 100% graduation rate for Park City High School.
Grade realignment — grouping preschool and kindergarten to grade 5, grades 6 to 8 and grades 9 to 12 — has reduced the number of transitions for students from four to three.
The district will be piloting an Artificial Intelligence tool for grades 6 through 12, with implementation in November, according to Huntsman.
Beginning in the fall, all Park City School District students in grades 6 to 12 at Ecker Hill Middle School and Park City High School will have to secure their phones in magnetic locking pouches during school hours. The requirement was implemented to comply with a state law that took effect July 1.
In the spring, the Park City School Board approved some other key administrator positions for the 2025-26 academic year.
Caleb Fine is serving as the Park City High School principal and Ben Mueller was selected as a high school assistant principal. Isaiah Folau is the new Ecker Hill Middle School principal and Dan Gallery is the assistant principal. Jacqie Spell started this school year as principal of Jeremy Ranch Elementary School.
Trailside Elementary School Principal Tracy Fike became the district’s Career and Technical Education director in July. Jamie Weekes is the academic dean at Trailside Elementary and Missy Tschabrun is the preschool coordinator.
More recent appointments are Craig Jensen, who will step into the role of transportation director later this month, and Veronica Ramos as interim executive director of human resources.
Treasure Mountain Junior High was closed, and the district officially broke ground on a sports complex at the site. Expansion of Ecker Hill Middle School is being finished, and upgrades to Trailside Elementary are complete. For construction updates, visit pcschools.us/about/construction-updates.
Joanna Andres, a Park City High School Social studies teacher, is one of five finalists for the 2026 Utah Teacher of the Year award. An announcement of which of the “Fab Five” gets the honor will be made on Sept. 4.
North Summit School District begins classes on Wednesday, Aug. 20. The district plans to continue its programs, which it says have led to years of student success.
In personnel changes, Wade Murdock started serving as the new superintendent this summer. Aaron Preece moved into Murdock’s former position as principal of North Summit Middle School. A half-time assistant principal opening was filled by Katie Silcox, who also works half-time as the Career and Technical Education director.
The North Summit School Board has adopted a resolution to put a proposal for a general obligation bond on the ballot in November to fund a new high school and indoor pool.
School will begin on different days for Wasatch County School District students depending on their grade. The start days are:
- Monday, Aug. 18, for students in grades 1-6 and 9.
- Tuesday, Aug. 19, for students in grades 7-8 and 10-12.
- Monday, Aug. 25, for kindergarten students.
- Tuesday, Aug. 26, for preschool students.
This summer, the district hired a new superintendent, Garrick Peterson. His former position as assistant superintendent will remain unfilled at this time.
Among other administrative changes for 2025-26, Brian Thorne joined the Teaching and Learning Department, focusing on Student Success; Lana Wright was named head principal of Rocky Mountain Middle School; and Amanda Edwards was named administrator at Wasatch High School’s Alternative School. Drew Camps Wofford, McKenzie Neiufi and Colleen Tolles have been named assistant principals at Wasatch High School.
Construction on the new Deer Creek High School is progressing and is on track to be completed in the spring and opened in fall 2026, according to district officials.
Repairs and updates have also been done or are in progress of being completed at other Wasatch School District schools. The work includes moving J.R. Smith Elementary’s portable classroom to a more accessible, safer spot and installing parking lot lights for increased security; replacing the main playground structures at Old Mill Elementary and Midway Elementary; replacing all the carpet in Rocky Mountain Middle School and repainting the halls to match the new school colors; and updating the restrooms in the kindergarten and pre-kindergarten areas at Heber Valley Elementary.
Classes begin on Wednesday for most students in the South Summit School District. Students who attend Silver Summit Academy returned to school on Aug. 13.
Superintendent Greg Maughan said the district’s goal is to always show improvement in academic achievement. The focus is to help develop the dispositions that align with Utah’s “Portrait of a Graduate,” he said.
The portrait, created by the state Board of Education, identifies the ideal characteristics of a Utah graduate after going through the K-12 system.
The district is implementing SHINE, a mentoring program for new teachers and teachers who want some additional support, Maughan said.
“It’s also a goal to show continuous growth for not just our students but for all of our employees, making sure that we’re building our capacity as leaders and teachers and paraprofessionals,” Maughan said.
The South Summit School Board has written a cellphone policy for the district that aligns with state code. So far, the ban on using the phones during classroom time has worked well in Silver Summit, Maughan said.
He said students are coming back to schools that are “fresh and ready and exciting,” thanks to the Facilities Department’s work over the summer on maintenance and repair projects.
All districts are ready for school to begin.
“As we start the year, we encourage everyone to be mindful of increased traffic and to watch for students walking or biking while the weather is still pleasant,” Huntsman said. “We’re excited to welcome our students and families back for another school year.”