Uintah School Board Approves Study To Consider Closure Of Uintah Middle School

The Uintah School Board met on Monday evening and voted 4-1 to have a study performed on the potential closure of Uintah Middle School at the end of the current school year. Superintendent Dr. Rick Woodford made a presentation to the board focused on the reasons behind the proposal to close UMS, primarily due to declining enrollment  caused by lower birthrates and expanding educational options. The board’s vote initiates a 90-day statutory study and public input timeline to explore the following recommendations from the Superintendent: Move 6th grade students back to elementary schools; Adjust elementary school boundaries to level-out enrollment across the district; Add a Dual Language Immersion program at Maeser Elementary School; Move all 7th and 8th grade students to Vernal Middle School; Close Uintah Middle School and determine the best course of action for the facility’s future; And form a plan to reinvest the savings of closing Uintah Middle School. During the presentation, Woodford shared that currently, Ashley, Davis, and Lapoint Elementary are at or below 50 percent capacity of students while Maeser and Naples Elementary are around 60 percent capacity. Discovery Elementary is at 92% capacity and the boundary realignment would aim to alleviate the strain felt there. Another point emphasized was that UMS is on the state’s list of unreinforced masonry schools and has a 10-year capital needs projection of over $13 million dollars. Public comment was received, largely focused on concern for student welfare and safety, loss of student opportunities, questions about the timeline, and concern for capacity at VMS with the proposed change. The board members acknowledged that a study is needed to gather all the data to explore if change is needed. Board member Robin McClellan voted Nay in Monday’s vote as a show of support for the concerned community and staff members. The first in person public comment opportunity will be at the school board meeting on October 7th followed by public comment accepted during the November 11th board meeting. A public hearing will be held at Uintah Middle School focused on this topic on November 18th and public comment will also be accepted during the December 9th board meeting. The board will vote on whether or not to move forward with any or all recommendations during an open meeting on December 22nd.

Meeting Presentation Documents