Community Newsletter
Dear Salt Lake City School District community,
We are so excited to start the new school year! The first day of school is Tuesday, August 30, and we can’t wait to see our new and returning students. Before that first day, there are some things we want you to know.
Free and Reduced School Meals
Many of the grants and waivers that were available during the pandemic have now expired, and school meals are no longer free for all children. If your family needs help paying for school meals, please contact our Child Nutrition department (on their website, by email at freeandreduced@slcschools.org, or by phone at 801-974-8380) to fill out a free and reduced meals application, or to see if you directly qualify by participating in any of the following federal assistance programs:
- Food stamps (SNAP),
- Medicaid,
- Foster care,
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF),
- McKinney-Vento (families experiencing homelessness).
More information can be found on the Child Nutrition website: https://www.slcschools.org/departments/child-nutrition/applications.
UTA Passes
The Salt Lake City School District, Salt Lake Education Foundation, Salt Lake City Corporation, and the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) are partnering to provide all district students, faculty, and staff a FREE UTA transit pass. The passes will allow students and staff to travel on TRAX, Bus, Streetcar, and On-demand services during the 2022-23 school year. The passes are not valid on FrontRunner, Ski buses, Paratransit, Park City Connect, or Special Services.
We are currently printing names on the cards so that each student and employee receives a UTA pass. When all the passes have been printed, they will be delivered to school principals who will distribute them to students.
Feasibility Studies for Highland and West
The Board of Education has hired two architectural firms to conduct feasibility studies about the possibility of rebuilding Highland High School and West High School. A feasibility study is a way for us to get expert opinions on the needs of each school building and community, to look at how much it would cost to make sure each school building is meeting student needs and to make sure we are considering district priorities like energy efficiency.
The two firms will use their experience in designing schools and their knowledge of the construction industry to create possible site plans (where buildings could be located on the current school campuses) and budget estimates.
The district will hold public open houses to gather feedback from you about the possibility of rebuilding these two schools. These meetings are open to ALL community members.
West High School Auditorium (241 North 300 West) Wednesday, September 7 7:00 p.m.
Highland High School Auditorium (2166 South 1700 East) Thursday, September 8 7:00 p.m.
School Registration
It’s time to register for school. If you haven’t already been contacted by your local school, we’ve created a webpage with registration information, including school phone numbers and the dates and times for registration at each school.
COVID-19 Protocols
Case counts for COVID-19 are no longer part of our daily news, but the district continues to track the latest information about this disease. Last Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued updated guidance on COVID-19 protocols in schools. We are now waiting for localized guidance from the Utah Department of Health and the Salt Lake County Health Department about how to implement the new guidance in our schools. We don’t anticipate many changes to the protocols we already have in place, but we will share any updates with families as soon as possible.
We clean and sanitize our schools each day and have plans in place if any students or employees test positive for COVID. We encourage students and employees to be fully vaccinated. That is the best way to combat the spread of this disease. You can read about our plans and find answers to common questions on the COVID-19 section of the district website.
COVID-19 home tests are available at schools for parents to pick up and use at home when students or other family members are experiencing symptoms. For more information, please contact your school’s front office.
Period Products in Schools
During the latest legislative session, lawmakers unanimously passed House Bill 162, which requires period products to be available for free in all public schools. These products are now available in high school restrooms. Middle schools and elementary schools will have products available in school restrooms later in the fall. We will keep you updated.
Helpful Links
The district website – www.slcschools.org – contains information about all departments and the services we provide to students. Below are some links we think might be helpful and informative for you and your student(s).
- School Year Calendar - https://www.slcschools.org/calendars
- Board Meetings Schedule - https://www.slcschools.org/board-of-education/board-meetings/2022-23-board-meetings
- School Safety Protocols - https://www.slcschools.org/departments/communications-and-community-relations/school-safety
- Free and Reduced Meal Application - https://frapps.horizonsolana.com/welcome
- Telehealth School-Based Therapy - https://www.slcschools.org/news/news-details/~board/salt-lake-city-school-district-news/post/telehealth-school-based-therapy
- Lunch and Breakfast menus - https://www.slcschools.org/departments/child-nutrition/menus-common-concerns
- Parent PowerSchool Portal - https://powerschool.slcschools.org/public/home.html
- Canvas Login - https://www.slcschools.org/canvas