Principal Roger Arbabi said the idea to bring in tutors originated from Stevenson High School in Illinois, one of the top-ranked schools in the country. Arbabi said he and other school administrators visited the school to learn about its success and saw the tutoring program in action.
“There were students in and out of the spaces that they do the tutoring all the time, and I felt like it would be a huge benefit to all of our students to be able to offer that to our kids,” he said.
The high school is looking to hire two tutors for the 2025-2026 school year; one to focus on math and one on English. However, Arbabi said the council anticipates having funding for up to three tutors.
“We're going to start with those two and see how successful that program is,” he said. “If we find a need, we say, ‘Oh my gosh, we need somebody who has expertise in physics, or somebody who has expertise in the biological sciences,’ we can then really hone in and get somebody who's well qualified.”
Arbabi said the tutors will use the school’s new multi-purpose media room, a sort of non-traditional library called “The Mine,” as their home base.
Students will be able to visit the tutors from 7 a.m. to around 3:30 p.m. for help with homework or test preparation. Study hall classes will also be in The Mine so students have access to the tutors.
Arbabi said the Park City High School Community Council, which is made up of parents and a few staff including Arbabi, will support the program. In the past, the council funded the award-winning Dream Big program that focuses on preparing first-generation students for college.
As the district now funds that program, the council wanted to find another way to support students using funding it receives from the Utah Trust Lands Administration.
Arbabi said the land trust monies must support all students, and the council believes the tutoring program fits that directive.
