Last year, 165 West High students waited an extra 30 minutes after school for their buses most days — a delay that amounted to 69 more hours of wait time than their peers over the school year, a new audit found.
The issue stems from uncoordinated school start and release times that auditors say are caused by the Salt Lake City School District’s “shared governance” model, according to the report from the Legislative Auditor General.
This leadership structure allows individual schools to make certain decisions — like setting school bell schedules — that are traditionally determined at the district level.
The audit, presented Tuesday to the Legislative Audit Subcommittee, followed up on a 2022 review of Salt Lake City schools, which ultimately led to the closure of four elementary schools this year.
The new audit revisited some recommendations from that review. It concluded that the shared governance model has had “negative impacts” on the district’s ability to make decisions in the “best interest of students.”
The Salt Lake City School District has been operating under shared governance for 50 years, the specifics of which are outlined in a written agreement with the Salt Lake Education Association (SLEA). According to the district’s website, it’s “based on the philosophy that education is a responsibility of all employees and the community, and that when people work together to make decisions, many advantages accrue.”
The agreement divides certain decision-making responsibilities between the Salt Lake City school board, district administration and members of school improvement councils at individual schools. Depending on the school, these councils can consist of teachers as representatives, representatives of other employee groups (like school counselors) and principals.
How auditors say it’s harming students
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) West High School, pictured Tuesday, July 23, 2024, where an audit found students missed out on instructional time after the school extended its passing period between classes by one minute.
Auditors pinpointed three areas where they concluded the shared governance model was harming students: transportation, instructional hours and principals’ ability to effectively lead their schools.
The audit noted that principals often require faculty approval before introducing new programs or professional development initiatives, and that these can be blocked through a vote.
It also found that the model has led to busing conflicts, making some students get home late. This happens because certain schools have different dismissal times, causing students to wait as buses drop off children from other schools.
In particular, students at West High School, Glendale Middle School and Northwest Middle School experienced regular delays getting home during the 2023-24 school year, according to the audit.
Some of the scheduling conflicts stem from board action taken in 2021, according to the findings. That year, Salt Lake City school board leaders passed a motion that laid out the start and end times for high schools and prohibited early release on Fridays.
The same motion also granted elementary and middle schools flexibility in setting their start and end times, allowing school improvement councils to determine bell schedules.
The model also caused West High students to lose about nine hours of instruction during the 2023-2024 school year after administrators extended transition times between classes from six to seven minutes. Although the initiative aimed to reduce absenteeism, it ultimately caused students to fall short of the required 1,000 hours of instructional time for the school year.
“The district was unaware that the school had implemented longer transition times for the 2024 school year and was therefore unaware of the shortfall in hours until late in the year,” the audit stated. “This indicates that internal controls over bell schedules can be improved.”
Shared governance isn’t the norm
This shared governance structure is relatively uncommon, the audit noted. When comparing districts with similar demographics, auditors found that all either set school schedules at the district or school board level — sometimes offering schools a set of options — or require close collaboration with the transportation department.
Principals in these districts are also able to implement new programs and provide professional development without seeking faculty permission.
The audit offered several recommendations, including steps for the Salt Lake Board of Education to reassert its authority over school scheduling and clarify that school improvement councils do not hold “decision-making” power.
Auditors also recommended that the district “reevaluate” whether shared governance is an “appropriate model” and urged lawmakers to assess whether it is suitable for Utah schools as a whole.
However, in a Nov. 7 email responding to the audit, SLCSD Superintendent Elizabeth Grant wrote that some of the recommendations will have to be negotiated with the SLEA as they pertain to their 50-year-old agreement.
The recommendations will be placed on upcoming board agendas for potential action, Grant wrote, and negotiations with the SLEA will begin in spring 2025.
“We take seriously the recommendations in the legislative audit,” district officials said in a statement Tuesday evening. “We value having many voices in the decision-making process and remain committed to keeping our students and their education at the forefront of all our decisions.”
SLEA did not immediately provide comment Tuesday after the audit’s 4 p.m. release, because the association said it needed time to review its findings.
