August 2023 school board meeting

Personnel, property taxes, and projects were the themes of this summer’s meetings of the Morgan School District Board of Education. Here are your highlights.

First, changes in administration this summer are the following: Dr. Jensen, superintendent; Crae Wilson, human resources; Luke Thomas, principal at MHS, Ramona Martin, principal at MGES, Trina Wilkinson, principal at MES, and Josh Sargent, assistant principal at MHS.

After some heavy recruitment/persuasion, Destiny Field has taken the reins as Student Intervention Services Director of our alternative program, Morgan Rise, formerly the Morgan Unified Learning Center. With her years in special education, counseling, and administration, Destiny is the most qualified person in the district to tackle all the responsibilities needed to coordinate support for our at-risk students. She has already been busy this summer writing grants and organizing the program and her staff, Katie Stokes and Chelsea Peterson. This program will also replace Morgan Online.

For the second year in a row, the school board voted to lower this year’s property tax rate after the August Truth in Taxation meeting. A few clarifications:

• Property tax is divided among the school district, the county, and the special services districts (water and sewer, for example). The rate has to be set so that all three can maintain services.

• Because property valuations have risen so much the past several years, the board wanted to ease some of that tax burden, so their intention has been to lower rates.

• The district needs additional funding for additional services, including an additional resource officer, and the increased costs of maintenance.

• The district also needs to offer competitive salaries “to recruit and to retain talent” (Adam Toone) so that our children have quality teachers.

Ultimately, the board voted to lower the rate from 0.006454% to 0.005788%. What that means for you and your neighbors depends on the valuation on yours. Contact the county assessor’s office for more information on how your valuation was calculated and tax-relief programs available through the State. The board’s “hope” (Kelly Preece) and “goal” (Mandy Wallace) is to continue to float the rate down as our tax base grows and diversifies.

In other news, summer projects are wrapping up. At a few schools, these will carry into the start of school. Your school’s administration will send more information. The bridge that connects Young Street to 500 E Street (Commercial/Front Street) opens today–ribbon cutting at 1.

MHS is on a later start time this year: first hour starts at 7:50 (first bell rings at 7:45). See your school’s website for your student’s complete bell schedule.

The district is using a new app to track bus routes: BusRight. You should have received an invitation to enroll from [email protected] . Check your Spam/Junk folder if you haven’t seen it yet. Questions about your child's bus stop or route should be directed to Cory Sanders or Michelle Poll at the MSD Transportation Department at [email protected] and [email protected].

Finally, WELCOME BACK! School started Aug. 22. We hope you are as excited for the start of school as we are.

The next Board meeting will be on Sept. 12, 2023.