The Park City School District reports enrollment is currently around 4,100 students, but the number will shift as open enrollment and late registrations are processed.
Superintendent Lyndsay Huntsman said the district projected it would lose around 100 students this school year, but so far, enrollment is about the same as last year. She said open enrollment and adding ninth grade to the high school may have helped.
“Historically, kids have waited until 10th grade to return and enroll at Park City High School, but with ninth grade now being over there, I think kids are coming back sooner,” Huntsman said.
New this year, sixth through twelfth-grade students must keep their phones in magnetically-locking pouches throughout the school day. The pouches will stay with each student, but they won’t be able to access their phones.
The decision is in response to a new state law prohibiting cellphone use during classroom hours and a district cellphone policy approved last year banning cellphones during school hours.
Huntsman said the pouch policy will not be implemented on the first day of school.
“The pouches have arrived. They're on site, but we're going to do a lot of messaging and educating our students, our staff and our families before implementing it,” she said.
Huntsman said the high school also has a plan for juniors and seniors, who are allowed to leave campus for lunch. Their pouches will be unlocked as they leave campus and relocked when they return.
The district also has ongoing construction projects, with Park City High set for an inspection on a new wing Thursday. While construction on the school will continue after school hours, Huntsman said classes will be ready for students to return Monday.
Construction is also ongoing on the Treasure Mountain Junior High campus. The school will be torn down this fall to make way for the Treasure Mountain Sports Complex, which will feature two soccer fields, eight tennis courts and a softball and baseball field.
Initial construction work has already begun on the fenced-off site.
Soil at the site has heightened levels of lead and arsenic, but the district claims no contaminated soils have been exposed. The construction plan is designed to avoid disturbing the at least six-inch protective cap.
“As you drive by or walk by, you'll notice there's a water truck on site, they are suppressing the dust as that top layer is moved,” Huntsman said. “You've likely seen clean soil and rock being added and coming into the Treasure Mountain site.”
Huntsman said nearby schools and the district office are also all pressurized to prevent outside air from entering the buildings.
A full-time environmental consultant is on site to monitor air quality, soils disturbance and compliance with the soils management plan. The consultant reports to the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, which ensures Environmental Protection Agency compliance.
