The Murray Board of Education convened Thursday, November 13, 2025, addressing district finances, facility usage, and policy updates, while receiving reports on significant capital projects and community support efforts. Here are some of the key items discussed.

The Board took action on several administrative and financial items:

• TSSA and School Land Trust Amendments Approved: The Board approved financial amendments for both McMillan Elementary and Murray High School.
• McMillan Elementary transferred $1,750 from stipends to supplies to provide take-home literacy resources to families during parent-teacher conferences, a new strategy to increase reach.
• Murray High School reallocated funds between the Teacher and Student Success Act (TSSA) and School Land Trust budgets to cover personnel costs, including increasing the stipend for the PD Coordinator (from $1,000 to $2,000 for accreditation work) and the website manager (from $3,500 to $4,000, in part due to recent website migration).
• Positive Behavior Support Plans: School-based Positive Behavior Support Plans, which include efforts to reduce alcohol and tobacco use, were approved by the Board.

Construction and Facility Updates
Director Taggart provided an update on the progress of major construction projects, confirming both are currently on schedule:

• High School: Framing, ductwork, and plumbing are underway on the first floor. Metal decking is being placed for the concrete pour on the second floor, and masonry is continuing up to the third floor.
• Junior High: The site has approximately 150 workers daily. Crews have begun the process of tilting up the precast panels for the gymnasium walls. Masonry is nearing completion in the classroom wings and is shifting focus toward the auditorium area.

Community Engagement and Public Comment
Murray Education Foundation (MEF): The MEF announced the kick-off for the annual Angel Tree fundraiser, which will start tomorrow (November 14th) at 6:00 p.m. at the Fashion Place Mall. The foundation anticipates supporting close to 600 students in need this year. The MEF is also partnering with the City Creek Giving Machine and the Holiday Lights at the Ballpark event.

Murray Youth Football Request
During the public comment segment, Bo Peay, representing Murray Youth Football (U conference), requested a meeting with the Board to find a solution for securing a district field for their five-game season. Peay argued that using district facilities would strengthen the high school football program pipeline, help retain players against open enrollment, and highlighted the program’s focus on academics (28 players received Academic All-State honors).

Staff Appreciation
The Murray Education Association (MEA) representative thanked the Board for providing extra support and recognition to Education Support Professionals (ESPs) who were not included in recent legislative compensation measures, acknowledging their critical role.

Food Services and Student Programs
The Food Services department provided updates on new initiatives:

• Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Program (FFVP): The program is running twice weekly at Horizon and Liberty schools, introducing students to a wider variety of produce, including gooseberries, rainbow carrots, and blood oranges.
• Future Chef Competition: The annual student cooking competition is scheduled for Wednesday, February 18, 2026, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Hillcrest Junior High, with the theme "Passport to Flavor."
• Menu & Equipment: The department has successfully installed eight new milk nutrition machines and four new ovens across the district. They are also adjusting daily menus, noting a need to remove a sunflower-butter based item due to a recent allergic reaction among staff.

Board Member Report

Board members shared updates on school activities, including attending the Phil Crest band/orchestra concert, observing the Murray High School Nail Tech CTE program, and noting the new trading card initiative at Horizon Elementary designed to encourage student-faculty connection.

First Readings: Policy and Calendar
The Board held first readings on key upcoming policy and calendar changes:

• 2027–2028 Calendar: The proposed calendar consists of 177 instructional days and reallocates three instructional days from the previous year.
• Policy PS438 (Homeschool Education): The Board reviewed updates to the Home Centered Education Policy (with a proposed new name, "Homeschool Education Policy"). Consistent with new Utah Code, the policy now requires parents to submit only a one-time initial notification to the district, eliminating the previous annual notarization requirement.
• Policy PS101 (Educator Evaluation): Revisions were presented to update terminology and change the evaluation cycle for educators from three years to four years, aligning with state rules.