Your feedback ensures we stay focused on the facts that matter to you most—take our survey.

Salt Lake City School District, Utah, elections

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Salt Lake City School District
School Board badge.png
District details
School board members: 7
Students: 19,896 (2022-2023)
Schools: 41 (2022-2023)
Website: Link

Salt Lake City School District is a school district in Utah (Salt Lake County). During the 2023 school year, 19,896 students attended one of the district's 41 schools.

This page provides information regarding school board members, election rules, finances, academics, policies, and more details about the district.

Jump to a section:
Elections School board Location Budget Academic performance Students Staff Schools School board meetings

Elections

Do you know of an individual or group that endorsed a candidate for a position on this board? Click here to let us know.

Salt Lake City School District, Precinct 1

General election

General election for Salt Lake City School District, Precinct 1

Incumbent Tiffany Sandberg won election in the general election for Salt Lake City School District, Precinct 1 on November 8, 2016.

Candidate
✔
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Tiffany Sandberg (Nonpartisan)

Incumbents are bolded and underlined.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Salt Lake City School District, Precinct 2

General election

General election for Salt Lake City School District, Precinct 2

Incumbent Michael Nemelka won election in the general election for Salt Lake City School District, Precinct 2 on November 8, 2016.

Candidate
✔
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Michael Nemelka (Nonpartisan)

Incumbents are bolded and underlined.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Salt Lake City School District, Precinct 5

General election

General election for Salt Lake City School District, Precinct 5

Incumbent Heather Bennett won election in the general election for Salt Lake City School District, Precinct 5 on November 8, 2016.

Candidate
✔
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Heather Bennett (Nonpartisan)

Incumbents are bolded and underlined.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Salt Lake City School District, Precinct 7

General election

General election for Salt Lake City School District, Precinct 7

Incumbent Kristi Swett won election in the general election for Salt Lake City School District, Precinct 7 on November 8, 2016.

Candidate
✔
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Kristi Swett (Nonpartisan)

Incumbents are bolded and underlined.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Salt Lake City School District, Precinct 3

General election

General election for Salt Lake City School District, Precinct 3

Incumbent Katherine Kennedy won election in the general election for Salt Lake City School District, Precinct 3 on November 4, 2014.

Candidate
✔
Image of Katherine Kennedy
Katherine Kennedy (Nonpartisan)

Incumbents are bolded and underlined.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Salt Lake City School District, Precinct 4

General election

General election for Salt Lake City School District, Precinct 4

Incumbent Rosemary Emery won election in the general election for Salt Lake City School District, Precinct 4 on November 4, 2014.

Candidate
✔
Image of Rosemary Emery
Rosemary Emery (Nonpartisan)

Incumbents are bolded and underlined.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Salt Lake City School District, Precinct 6

General election

General election for Salt Lake City School District, Precinct 6

Incumbent Melissa H. Ford won election in the general election for Salt Lake City School District, Precinct 6 on November 4, 2014.

Candidate
✔
Image of Melissa H. Ford
Melissa H. Ford (Nonpartisan)

Incumbents are bolded and underlined.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Election rules

 

Election dates and frequency

See also: Rules governing school board election dates and timing

School board nonpartisan primary elections in Utah are held on the Fourth Tuesday in June every two years in even-numbered years. The nonpartisan primary election is only held for school board candidates if more than two candidates file for the same local school board seat.

School board general elections in Utah are held in each district on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November every two years in even-numbered years.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Utah Statute Section 20A-14-202, Section 20A-1-201.5, and Section 20A-9-403 and Utah Statute Section 20A-14-202 and Section 20A-1-201

Recent or upcoming election dates for all public school districts in the state

Below are the recent/upcoming dates for all public school districts in the state. There may be exceptions to these dates for specific districts because of local charters and district-specific exceptions and carve-outs.

  • Filing deadline date: January 8, 2026
  • Primary election date: June 23, 2026
  • General election date: November 3, 2026

Election system

School board members in Utah are elected through a system of a nonpartisan primary election and a nonpartisan general election. Nonpartisan primary elections are only held if enough candidates file for a school board seat.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Utah Statute Section 20A-14-202 and Section 20A-1-201.5

Party labels on the ballot

See also: Rules governing party labels in school board elections

School board elections in Utah are nonpartisan, which means party labels do not appear on the ballot for school board candidates. Utah Election Code states that "The county clerk shall [...] place the names of all candidates who have filed a declaration of candidacy for a local board of education seat on the nonpartisan section of the ballot if more than two candidates have filed for the same seat." It also states, "A candidate who, at the regular primary election, receives the highest number of votes cast for the office sought by the candidate is [...] for a nonpartisan local school board position, nominated for that office."

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Utah Statute Section 20A-9-403

Winning an election

In a general school board election, the candidate that receives the most votes is elected to office.

If more than two candidates file for the same local school board seat, a nonpartisan primary election is held, and the two candidates that receive the most votes in the nonpartisan primary advance to the general election. If one or two candidates but not more file for the same local school board seat, the nonpartisan primary election is canceled and the candidates automatically advance to the general election.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Utah Statute Section 20A-9-403

Term length and staggering

School board members in Utah have four-year regular terms.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Utah Statute Section 20A-14-203

As close to half of board members as possible for each district in Utah are up for election every two years. Utah statute states that, except when required temporarily for redistricting or a change in the number of board members, no more than three members can be elected at any regular election for a five-member board, no more than four members can be elected at any regular election for a seven-member board, and no more than five members can be elected at any regular election for a nine-member board.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Utah Statute Section 20A-14-202

Representation: at large vs. by sub-district

School board members in Utah are elected from sub-districts.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Utah Statute Section 20A-14-202

Filing deadlines and swearing-in dates

School board candidates in Utah must file declarations of candidacy by 5 p.m. on the fourth day after the filing window opens. The filing window opens on January 2 of the year of the election in even-numbered years. If January 2 is not a business day, the filing window opens on the first business day after January 2.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Utah Statute Section 20A-14-203 and Section 20A-9-201.5

School board candidates in Utah can file declarations of candidacy beginning on January 2 of the year of the election in even-numbered years. If January 2 is not a business day, the filing window opens on the first business day after January 2. The filing window is four days long.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Utah Statute Section 20A-14-203 and Section 20A-9-201.5

The terms of newly elected school board candidates in Utah officially begin on the first Monday in January following their election.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Utah Statute Section 20A-14-203

 


About the district

School board

The Salt Lake City School District consists of seven members serving four-year terms. To find information about school board meetings, click here.

List of school board members
NameSeatYear assumed officeYear term ends
Mohamed BaaydPrecinct 52028
Bryce WilliamsPrecinct 12028
Charlotte Fife-JeppersonPrecinct 220242028
Amanda LongwellPrecinct 720242028
Ashley AndersonPrecinct 32026
Bryan JensenPrecinct 62026
Nate SalazarPrecinct 42026

Join the conversation about school board politics

Ballotpedia's Hall Pass

Your Ticket to Understanding School Board Politics



District map

School district map

Overlapping state house districts

Salt Lake City School District
Office NameCurrent OfficeholderParty% School District Covered% Other District Covered
Utah House of Representatives District 21Sandra HollinsDemocratic Party 33% 31%
Utah House of Representatives District 22Jen Dailey-ProvostDemocratic Party 28% 77%
Utah House of Representatives District 25Angela RomeroDemocratic Party 15% 67%
Utah House of Representatives District 23Hoang NguyenDemocratic Party 9% 12%
Utah House of Representatives District 26Matt MacPhersonRepublican Party 7% 40%
Utah House of Representatives District 24Grant Amjad MillerDemocratic Party 6% 90%
Utah House of Representatives District 32Sahara HayesDemocratic Party 1% 18%
Utah House of Representatives District 33Doug OwensDemocratic Party< 1% 1%

The table was limited to the lower chamber because it provides the most granularity. State house districts tend to be more numerous and therefore smaller than state senate or U.S. House districts. This provides an impression of the partisan affiliations in the area.

Budget

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[1]

Revenue, 2020-2021
SOURCE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Federal: $33,967,000 $1,633 11%
Local: $177,937,000 $8,555 60%
State: $86,092,000 $4,139 29%
Total: $297,996,000 $14,328
Expenditures, 2020-2021
TYPE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Total Expenditures: $271,044,000 $13,032
Total Current Expenditures: $248,408,000 $11,943
Instructional Expenditures: $150,034,000 $7,213 55%
Student and Staff Support: $30,790,000 $1,480 11%
Administration: $25,926,000 $1,246 10%
Operations, Food Service, Other: $41,658,000 $2,002 15%
Total Capital Outlay: $11,969,000 $575
Construction: $10,120,000 $486
Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: $9,681,000 $465
Interest on Debt: $986,000 $47

Academic performance

Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements. To protect student privacy, percentages are reported as ranges for groups of 300 students or fewer. If five or fewer students were included in a data set, the data will display as "PS."[2]

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 30 27 7 12 10-14 49 48
2018-2019 43 40 18 26 15-19 58 62
2017-2018 45 40 21 28 25-29 61 63
2016-2017 45 43 20 29 25-29 61 65
2015-2016 45 43 26 29 25-29 57 64
2014-2015 43 40 21 26 25-29 55 62
2013-2014 42 39 23 25 20-24 54 62
2012-2013 74 75 55 62 60-64 80 86
2011-2012 64 68 39 51 50-54 70-74 79
2010-2011 63 65 42 50 45-49 70-74 77

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 37 30 16 18 15-19 54 56
2018-2019 43 34 21 24 25-29 59 64
2017-2018 44 35 23 26 30-34 60 63
2016-2017 43 37 21 25 25-29 60 62
2015-2016 42 37 23 24 25-29 56 63
2014-2015 40 35 20 22 15-19 53 61
2013-2014 40 35 21 23 20-24 56 61
2012-2013 77 75 61 65 55-59 87 90
2011-2012 75 74 56 64 60-64 80-84 89
2010-2011 72 73 53 60 55-59 85-89 87

The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2019-2020 81 80-84 70-74 79 40-59 75-79 85
2015-2016 76 80-84 80-84 68 40-49 70-74 82
2014-2015 74 80-84 60-64 68 60-69 80-84 77
2013-2014 71 75-79 65-69 66 30-39 70-79 75
2012-2013 70 70-74 55-59 67 40-49 >=90 73
2011-2012 65 70-74 55-59 58 40-49 60-79 71
2010-2011 62 65-69 60-64 48 50-59 40-59 73

Students

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[3]

Year Enrollment Year-to-year change (%)
2022-2023 19,896 -1.7
2021-2022 20,239 -2.8
2020-2021 20,798 -8.5
2019-2020 22,571 -2.6
2018-2019 23,165 -2.4
2017-2018 23,710 -0.7
2016-2017 23,885 -2.7
2015-2016 24,526 0.3
2014-2015 24,451 -0.6
2013-2014 24,597 -0.3
2012-2013 24,680 -1.4
2011-2012 25,016 1.5
2010-2011 24,647 -3.2
2009-2010 25,447 4.8
2008-2009 24,237 -2.8
2007-2008 24,908 2.4
2006-2007 24,314 -0.2
2005-2006 24,355 3.1
2004-2005 23,600 -3.6
2003-2004 24,443 -1.7
2002-2003 24,850 -1.3
2001-2002 25,161 -0.8
2000-2001 25,367 0.0
1999-2000 25,357 0.0
Racial Demographics, 2022-2023
RACE Salt Lake City School District (%) Utah K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native 1.3 1.0
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander 4.5 1.7
Black 5.0 1.3
Hispanic 38.6 19.6
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 5.1 1.7
Two or More Races 4.6 3.4
White 40.8 71.3

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Staff

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[4]

As of the 2022-2023 school year, Salt Lake City School District had 1,087.83 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 18.29.

Teachers, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Prekindergarten: 7.50
Kindergarten: 67.16
Elementary: 403.77
Secondary: 478.51
Total: 1,087.83

Salt Lake City School District employed 20.71 district administrators and 79.39 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.

Administrators, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS
District Administrators: 20.71
District Administrative Support: 0.00
School Administrators: 79.39
School Administrative Support: 0.00
Other staff, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF
Instructional Aides: 0.00
Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: 118.60
Total Guidance Counselors: 54.88
Elementary Guidance Counselors: 19.50
Secondary Guidance Counselors: 35.38
Librarians/Media Specialists: 32.80
Library/Media Support: 0.00
Student Support Services: 50.89
Other Support Services: 0.00

Schools

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[5]

The Salt Lake City School District operates 41 schools. They are listed below in alphabetical order.
List of schools
SCHOOL NAMENUMBER OF STUDENTSGRADES
Backman School364PK-6
Beacon Heights School397KG-6
Bonneville School449KG-6
Clayton Middle6347-8
Dilworth School492PK-6
East High1,8869-12
Edison School368PK-6
Emerson School467KG-6
Ensign School313PK-6
Escalante School362PK-6
Franklin School306PK-6
Glendale Middle6806-8
Hawthorne School362KG-6
Highland High1,9809-12
Highland Park School493KG-6
Hillside Middle5557-8
Horizonte Instruction & Training Center3237-12
Indian Hills School302KG-6
Innovations High School2939-12
Liberty School391PK-6
Mary W. Jackson School388PK-6
Meadowlark School354PK-6
M. Lynn Bennion School175PK-6
Mountain View School550PK-6
Newman School267PK-6
Nibley Park School344PK-8
North Star School386PK-6
Northwest Middle6337-8
Parkview School249PK-6
Riley School223PK-6
Rose Park School294PK-6
Salt Lake Center For Science Education Bryant4077-8
Salt Lake Head Start18PK-PK
Salt Lake Technology Center09-12
Salt Lake Virtual Elementary58KG-8
South Park Academy012-12
Uintah School414KG-6
Wasatch School337KG-6
Washington School267PK-6
West High2,6007-12
Whittier School499PK-6

School board meetings

The following articles were produced by Citizen Portal using artificial intelligence to analyze public meetings. Citizen Portal publishes articles based on the availability of meeting broadcasts, so the number of articles provided may vary by district. Although these articles are not produced or edited by Ballotpedia, they are included here as a supplemental resource for readers.

School board meeting articles (click to collapse)

About school boards

Education legislation in Utah

Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.

See also

School Boards Education Policy Local Politics Utah
School Board badge.png
Education Policy Icon.png
Local Politics Image.jpg
Seal of Utah.png

External links

  • Office website
  • Search Google News for this topic

    • Footnotes

    1. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
    2. ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
    3. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
    4. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
    5. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
    v • e
    Utah school districts
    Flag of Utah
    v • e
    State of Utah
    Salt Lake City (capital)
    Elections

    What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures

    Government

    Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy

    Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Salt_Lake_City_School_District,_Utah,_elections&oldid=10477883"