Kane County School District annual audit released

During the work meeting of the October 14 meeting of the Kane District Board of Education, Kyle Green, a partner with accounting firm Squire and Company, presented the Fiscal Year 2025 audit report to the school board. The conclusion stated, “In our opinion, Kane County School District complied, in all material respects, with the state compliance requirements [referred to above] for the year ended June 30, 2025.” The comprehensive audit is done annually and is available to the public for viewing. The school board accepted and approved the audit as submitted.

The three Kane County Commissioners attended the work meeting to discuss county use of the old Kanab Elementary School property. Patty Kubeja addressed the board, stating that the county would like to spend approximately $20,000 to install “rotamill” on parking areas, in order to use the property for the annual Balloons and Tunes event. Rotamill, or milled asphalt, is recycled material from old road surfaces. It is used as sustainable and cost-effective material for new driveways, paths and other landscaping projects.

Superintendent Ben Dalton updated the board on Utah State Board of Education (USBE) activities, including its prioritization of legislative funding requests for the 2026 legislative session, which includes a weighted pupil unit (WPU) increase of two percent above the inflation adjustment. WPU is the major component of the state’s public education funding system. A specific dollar amount is allocated per student, adjusted for factors like special education needs, low-income status and other student compositions/ variations. The legislature sets the WPU annually, determining how much each school receives based on its student population and unique needs. Dalton also reported on the USBE’s Administrative & Transparency Task Force, noting that he has been serving on a committee to reduce reporting requirements.

District Business Manager Cary Reese updated the board on the capital projects begun at Kanab High School (KHS) and Valley High School (VHS). The KHS HVAC project is still on hold (with previously approved United States Department of Energy funding of $5.7 million), as the district is still waiting for federal approval to go out to bid. The VHS project for construction of a new office will go out to bid in November. This project will be largely funded by a state grant of approximately $3 million.

The board discussed the recent problems reported at Kanab Elementary School (KES) regarding water bottles provided to students. The decision to provide water bottles in the cafeteria was made with student health in mind, after a parent reported concern about student hydration. Students have been taking the single use bottles outside, littering all over the grounds, throwing the bottles at others and using the bottles to spray others. KES Principal Daniel Trimble, in a letter, reported that the negative behaviors and safety issues have become significant. With concerns about injuries, misbehavior and staff capacity to supervise, he and his staff have suggested three alternative courses of action- that water bottle use be suspended for the higher grades (where most of the problems have occurred), suspension of all water bottle use or allowing the use of personal water bottles that the school purchased, which can be refilled inside the school.

The school board approved Educational Testing Service (ETS) curriculum, as well as the reading book, Salt to the Sea, by author Ruta Sepetys, an internationally acclaimed author who is renowned for giving voice to underrepresented history and those who experienced it. She will be visiting Kanab in February. This book is relevant to eighth grade World War II history curriculum.

In other business, the board accepted the resignation of paraeducator Ruby Cichocki. It hired the following persons, subject to a successful background check: Monte Glover (Kanab Middle School Teacher); paraeducators Xaraya Cox, Liahna Hyatt, Ashley Owens and Sara Wren; KES office substitute Mallory Edmunds, substitute teacher June Goritz and substitute bus driver John Strong.

Congratulations to all.