Granite schools report calm first week of classes

SALT LAKE CITY — The Granite School District heads into the second week of the 2021/2022 school year Monday. The district reported a smooth first week. 

No major issues for first week in Granite schools

“Knock on wood, this has been actually a pretty calm week, especially as far as first weeks generally go,” explained Ben Horsley, spokesman for Granite School District. 

There were no major problems other than a few students getting on the wrong school buses, according to Horsley. 

Reps with @jordandistrict @GraniteSchools and @canyonsdistrict tell me the first day of school went really well. Everyone was excited to be back in classrooms together. Some wore masks, some didn’t. No problems reported. @kslnewsradio https://t.co/QzDJZLNGxi

— Nick Wyatt (@NickWyattNews) August 17, 2021

The elephant in the room

Horsley said there is a mix of students and faculty wearing masks and those who chose not to. The district also received significant feedback from the community on the matter. 

“We kind of anticipated there could be the potential for those types of arguments that are happening out in the community to seep into our schools. We do see that often, but we have not seen that,” explained Horsley. 

Either way, Horsley said teachers feel more positive about this school year than last. 

“We feel a lot more confident than we have in the past about our ability to curb spread with layered measures and recommendations from the health department,” Horsley said. 

Granite is still offering remote learning opportunities for families, but Horsley says participation is lower than expected.

Shortages in the district

Granite still has many open jobs. Horsley said they are making it through with who they have, but could use more help. 

“We would still encourage individuals looking for work as a para-professional, bus driver, in our kitchens, to please reach out to graniteschools.org and apply today,” requested Horsley. 

The district currently has more than 175 open positions. 

Remaining school start dates:

Park City School District, Aug. 23 

Davis School District, Aug. 23

Salt Lake City School District, Aug. 24 

Tooele County School District, Aug. 24 

Weber School District, Aug. 25 

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