The Kane District Board of Education, at its January meeting, approved, among others, the following capital projects for the 2025-2026 school year: Playground shade structure (Big Water School (BWS)); replace old hot water heater and remove old hallway counter (Kanab Middle School (KMS)); replace cement in main entryway and replace carpet with hard flooring in Cosmetology mobile classroom (Kanab High School (KHS)); replace all old fluorescent lights with LED (Lake Powell School (LSP)); new parking lot and fence along north side and install bridge over a wash for pedestrian students (Valley Elementary School (VES)); new weight equipment and architecture fees for new building (Valley High School(VHS)). District Office capital funds will be used to renovate the office itself and purchase new International Video Corporation broadcast equipment to continue broadcasting to LPS. The gymnasium floors will be refinished, as they are every year, at five schools- KES, KMS, KHS, LPS, and VHS. Additionally, the outdated HVAC system at KHS will be replaced using a $3.5 million grant from the United States Department of Energy.
Superintendent Ben Dalton reported that the Kane District was ranked in the top five districts for third grade students reading on grade level during the 2023-24 school year in Utah. Reading on Grade Level is achieved when a third grade student demonstrates proficiency in reading by meeting specific criteria.
He updated the board on district student enrollment at the University of Utah, Utah’s flagship university, and on Utah State Board of Education (USBE) activities. The USBE is requesting that the state legislature provide a substantial amount of funding to purchase a single student information system (SIS) that can be used by all school districts. Currently, different districts use different SIS’s. The Utah School Superintendents Association is not in favor of moving all districts to the same system, because of the great expense and staff training required to begin a new system.
During the work meeting, Business Manager Cary Reese presented a power point explaining district finances and administered the oath of office to newly elected board members Mitchell Glazier, Taylor Glover and Danny Riddle. He later presented a monthly budget report.
The board approved new curriculum - Sight Reading Factory for music students, Brain- POP for grades 7-12, and Bullyology for grades 7-12, which is used as a response to bullying behaviors and teachers resiliency skills to handle life’s situations.
The board elected and approved Danny Little as board president and Mark Grow as vice-president.
The board approved the following persons, subject to a successful background check: Laifey Cox, Haven Glover and Jaci Peterson as paraeducators; Zackary Cherwin, Kenneth House and Jaron Palmer as bus drivers; Kristy Brinkerhoff as a part time lunch worker; Michael Larmore as a substitute custodian and Eleanor Clough and Anna Emans Lefler as substitute teachers. Congratulations to all.
