WASHINGTON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT (UTAH)
Agency History #1324
CREATION
Washington County's nineteen school districts were consolidated into the Washington County School District in June 1915. Shortly after hiring Superintendent Kolene F. Granger in 1996, the district adopted the following mission statement: "Together: Pioneering New Horizons in Teaching, Learning, and Leading." During the term of Superintendent Steve Peterson (1984-1996), the district's mission statement read: "Proceed on the premise of what's best for kids."
FUNCTIONS
Washington County School District provides public education for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Reported enrollment for the 2001-2002 school year is 18, 775. District offices are located in St. George, Utah. The district has 29 schools--18 elementaries, one sixth grade center, one sixth-seventh intermediate, four middle schools, and six high schools. The district includes the communities of St. George, Washington, Santa Clara, Ivins, Hurricane, LaVerkin, Dammeron Valley, Central, Veyo, Pine Valley, Leeds, Hildale, Virgin, Enterprise, Springdale, Toquerville, and Winchester Hills. It covers 2,425 square miles.
ADMINISTRATION
The district is governed by a five-member, elected Board of Education. Voters in each of the district's five precincts elect one member to serve as their representative on the Board of Education. School Board elections are held in November in conjunction with the general election. The board members elect a president and vice president at the time new members are sworn into office. The district is also subject to the general oversight of the Utah State Office of Education.
The Superintendent of Schools, who administers day-to-day operations, is appointed by the Board of Education. Assistant superintendents oversee elementary and secondary education. Assessment and Student Services, Applied Technology Education, and Special Education are supervised by directors. A Business Manager heads an administrative division. Human Resources was added in 1998. At times the district uses an attorney to help with legal advice, the State Office of Education, architects, and engineers.
| WASHINGTON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS, 1916-PRESENT | |
| W. O. Bentley, | 1916-1929 |
| M. E. Moody, | 1929-1958 |
| LaVoy Esplin, | 1958-1979 |
| Jack Burr, | 1979-1984 |
| Steve Peterson, | 1984-1996 |
| Kolene F. Granger, | 1996-present |
| BOARD OF EDUCATION, 1998-1999 | |
| Frances Christensen, president | |
| Brad Last, vice president | |
| Catherine Miles | |
| Dr. Sheldon Johnson | |
| Wendell Gubler | |
| SCHOOLS, 1915-PRESENT | |
| Leeds, | established 1915 |
| Hurricane, | established 1918 |
| Enterprise, | established 1921 |
| Toquerville, | established 1922 |
| Gunlock, | established 1926 |
| Springdale, | established 1930 |
| Rockville, | established 1934 |
| Hurricane High, | established 1936 |
| St. George Elementary, | established 1936 |
| East Elementary, | established 1955 |
| Hurricane Elementary, | established 1955 |
| West Elementary, | established 1955 |
| Enterprise Elementary, | established 1957 |
| Hurricane Fine Arts Center, | established 1958 |
| Dixie High, | established 1965 |
| Hurricane High, | established 1968 |
| Enterprise Library, | established 1969 |
| Dixie Middle, | established 1976 |
| Washington Elementary, | established 1976 |
| Springdale Elementary, | established 1977 |
| Santa Clara Elementary, | established 1979 |
| LaVerkin, | established 1983 |
| Pine View High, | established 1983 |
| Bloomington, | established 1985 |
| Sunset Elementary, | established 1985 |
| Enterprise High, | established 1986 |
| Panorama Elementary, | established 1986 |
| Phelps, | established 1986 |
| District Office (remodel), | established 1986 |
| Pine View Middle, | established 1987 |
| Dixie Downs, | established 1990 |
| Hurricane Middle, | established 1990 |
| Snow Canyon Middle, | established 1992 |
| Snow Canyon High, | established 1994 |
| Bloomington Hills, | established 1995 |
| Three Falls Elementary, | established 1996 |
| Coral Cliffs, | established 1997 |
| Diamond Valley, | established 1997 |
| Red Mountain, | established 1998 |
| Desert Hills Intermediate, | established 2000 |
| Sandstone Elementary, | established 2000 |
| Millcreek, | established 2001 |
COMPILED BY: W. Glen Fairclough, Jr., , April 2002
SOURCES
Alder, Douglas D. and Karl F. Brooks. A History of Washington County. Utah Centennial County History Series. Utah State Historical Society and Washington County Commission, 1996.
Moffitt, John Clifton. A Century of Service, 1860-1960: A History of the Utah Education Association. Salt Lake City: Utah Education Association, 1960.
Washington County School District. Strategic Plan, Vision, Beliefs. Goals, 1998-1999.
Washington County School District. World Wide Web site, http://www.wash.k12.ut.us/
Series 83238 Utah. Legislature. Utah Code Annotated, 1851-ongoing. Title 53A, Sections 2-3.
Series 1052 Utah. Legislature. Utah Code Unannotated, 1982-ongoing. Title 53A, Sections 2-3.
Series 240; Utah. Secretary of State. Public Documents Serial Set, 1896-1956. 1915-1916, part 3, no. 24; Eleventh Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction of the State of Utah for the biennial period ending June 30th, 1916, esp. pp. 7-12, 115-121.
Page Last Updated July 2, 2003.