Summit Elementary

School Community Council Meeting Notes

Summit Elementary Library

 11/13/24

3:45 pm

Council members In attendance: Clarissa Rich, Jasmine Wilhelm, Elizabeth Sant, Beth Jenkins, Stacy Maughan, Aimee McNeil, Hilary Bair, PTA president  Missing: Melissa Shelton

Community Members in attendance: Tara Jensen, Tiffany Hinkson, Jan Shaw, Mary B. Taylor, Sofia Nava,  Matt Hansen, Seneca Holt, Mikelshan Bartschi, Jen Davis, Kenzy Stephens, Teri Rhodes, Cathy Christiansen

2024-2025 Budget was presented by Principal McNeil and provided on the back of the agenda. It is early in the year and it is expected to dwindle more as the year goes on.  The goal is to have less than 10% of the budget to roll over to the next year.

The Smithfield Sheriff department was in attendance for the Crosswalk safety discussion for the intersection at 100 S 100 W.

• Principal McNeil welcomed the Sheriff’s department and gave details about improvements and steps that have been taken. Stop signs at the aforementioned intersection replaced yield signs. Teacher supervision was added to the intersection after the pick up line was moved to the west behind the school.  It is not the responsibility of the teacher to be a crossing guard under their contract and school liability, but teachers are doing it to ensure the safety of students.

• Principal McNeil met with Smithfield city and the following actions were taken: removed trees for better visibility, signs with flashing lights for crossing East and West, new parking for buses.

• The city does not recognize it as a reduced speed zone and will not be paying for crossing guards.

• Principal McNeil hopes to see flexibility and more choice offered by the city of Smithfield. The driving force for this conversation is the safety of Summit’s students and teachers. Summit has a unique layout with Front and Rear pick-ups, buses, and walkers including those going across Main Street.

• Lieutenant Bartschi wants to see multi-disciplinary problem solving between the city, sheriff’s office, and school district. 

• Lieutenant Bartschi introduced Safe Routes provided by UDOT and explained that as a community group we can decide on safe routes. 

• The conversation continued:

  • Stacy Maughan, a community council member, raised the point that most of our council is from Newton and not affected by the crosswalk situation.

    • Lieutenant Bartschi in response stressed that we need to have the right people in the room. It is the responsibility of the community to come up with solutions and work with the city and district.

  • Tara Jensen, a community member who owns a daycare accessed by the crosswalk, asked, “Why do kids cross in front of pick-up traffic in a u-shape forcing them to cross 3x?” 

    • The response was there is no sidewalk on the southeast corner of the intersection.

    • Principal McNeil said the decision was made to also help teach students to cross as safely as they can in the right crosswalks with the eventuality that teachers won’t be provided as crossing guards.

    • Tara mentioned writing a grant from Safe Schools to add the needed sidewalk on the southeast corner of the intersection.

  • Seneca Holt stressed the importance of training kids how to cross safely and teaching parents not to park in the crosswalk. She also proposed permanent cones for a dedicated pick-up line.

  • Hilary Bair shared the teacher/crossing guard perspective. She explained that the cones they have used in the past are confusing to drivers and they don’t know how to use them.

  • A person in the back said she lives on 100 W brought up that there is a lack of education for parents for pick-up.

  • Deputy Holt reiterated that educating parents about the pick up line is crucial.

  • Summit Teacher, McKenzie Stephens, suggested rerouting pick-up to the empty parking lot between the library and Smithfield going around the circle drive and exiting to the south on Main Street. Mrs. Stephens also stressed that her own children cross the intersection in question and she just wants them to be safe.

• The following solutions were brought up:

  • One community member who lives on 100 West suggested creating an engaging animation or graphic to educate parents on the pick-up process. 

  • Tara Jensen suggested handing out the pick-up instructions in the pick-up line as parents sit and wait.

  • Stacy Maughan also suggested PTC as a time to pass out pick-up education materials. 

  • Jasmine Whilhelm suggested an Awareness-raiser

  • Deputy Holt brought up the green ribbon safety week the school did at the beginning of the year being a success.

  • Teri Rhodes, from the school board, proposed a concrete median to divide 100 west between walkway and pickup.

  • Cathy Christiansen, from the school board, mentioned that Birch Creek Elementary makes the road along 1st West going North a one-way road before and after school suggesting that a one-way road could be a possibility.

  • Lieutenant Bartschi reiterated that education is a huge piece and a free solution. He also said governing bodies need to be present to make decisions.

  • Teri Rhodes also suggested reaching out to Bruce Parker at the district who recently completed the Sky View project to change bus drop-offs.

  • Lieutenant Bartshi mentioned that bus and parent pick-up in newly designed schools are in different parking lots.

• Principal McNeil said that these were all good suggestions: educating parents, streamlining processes, changing the Safe Routes as a community and writing a grant through Safe Schools. We will continue this conversation at the next meeting on January 8. The community is invited and encouraged to bring solutions to discuss.

Sofia Nava expressed a concern on 1st North that people are not stopping when it is not school hours.

• Principal McNeil and Cathy Christiansen said this was valuable feedback for Smithfield city and encouraged reaching out to the city manager.

Principal McNeil proposed a Trustlands Budget amendment. The budget as it stands had $12,000 set apart for professional development for teachers to attend a PLC conference. The district provided a PLC training for elementary school teachers so that money could be reallocated to the Paraprofessionals budget.  There was also $36,922 allotted for technology improvements across the school under Instructional Supply.  Principal McNeil explained there was TSSA money also set aside for updating technology and proposed reallocating the $36, 922 to the parabudget as well. The proposed amount of $48,922 moved to the Paraprofessional budget was voted on and passed unanimously. 

A motion was made and passed to move the discussion on School Safety and Safe Routes to the next meeting. The meeting was adjourned.