Amber Shill Canyons School Board

Congratulations to the accomplished Class of 2026 from Brighton High School! 🧡💙🎓 This is one of the best parts of my job! I love celebrating the achievements of students and seeing the excitement and pure happiness in their faces when I hand them their diplomas. Go Bengals!! 💙🧡🎓

More than 550 Brighton High students crossed the commencement stage Wednesday morning, ready to take on the world, and challenged to consider not simply what they will do next, but what they will leave behind. And by the time the final tassel was turned, it was clear the Class of 2026 has already begun shaping a legacy that will endure. The list of accolades Principal Marielle Rawle noted as “reflecting the excellence of the senior class” was impressive: Among the graduating class, 46 percent received college scholarship offers, totaling more than $15 million. As many maintained a 3.5 GPA or higher, and 70 students earned 30 or higher on the ACT college entrance exam. Two students earned National Merit Scholar status, and one was named a state Sterling Scholar.

Don’t miss this week’s meeting of the Canyons Board of Education on Tuesday, May 5. The Study Session starts at 5:15 p.m. and the Business Meeting starts at 7 p.m.
FULL AGENDA: https://canyonsdistrict.community.highbond.com/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Org=Cal&Id=476
LIVESTREAM: https://www.youtube.com//featured

If school quality is measured by where families choose to enroll, Canyons District’s high schools are thriving. Even as school choice expands, 83 percent of local high school students choose Canyons schools, with another 770 students enrolling from outside District boundaries. That demand is backed by independent rankings. All five of CSD’s comprehensive schools placed among Salt Lake’s top 20 in the 2026 U.S News & World Report rankings, with four schools ranking among the top 30 statewide. Read more about how Alta, Brighton, Corner Canyon, Official Hillcrest, and Jordan high schools are delivering on education.image001.png
https://www.canyonsdistrict.org/general-news/news-section/top-rankings-strong-demand-canyons-high-schools-deliver/

Congratulations to Mindy Robison. She will be an amazing Assistant Superintendent!I am excited to work with her more closely!

Congratulations to Bryan Rudes the new principal of Canyons Technical Education Center! He has been principal at Butler Middle School where he will be missed.

The Canyons Board of Education and Administration are pleased to announce the appointment of Bryan Rudes as the new principal of the Canyons Technical Education Center (CTEC). Rudes, who is currently the Principal at Butler Middle School, will transition to CTEC after the close of the 2025-2026 school year. He succeeds Doug Hallenbeck who is retiring. For nearly a decade, Rudes has worked in an administrative capacity in Canyons. The 15-year educator got his start in the classroom as an engineering and robotics teacher at the early-college high school, NUAMES.

Spent the weekend in San Antonio at the National School Board Association’s annual conference. I attended classes on Career Pathways and student internships, how unified leadership builds trust, how to run an effective meeting and a strategic and restorative approach to absenteeism. It is always interesting to talk to board members from around the country, learn from them and discuss similar challenges. One of the highlights is always hearing from talented student groups!📚✏️🚌📓📖

Here are the highlights from the board meeting last night!

Canyon Board Meeting has a full agenda for our next meeting. Join us in person or online.

Dr. McKay Robinson is the next Superintendent of the Canyons School District.The Board of Education appointed the 25-year educator to the post on Tuesday night. “Initially, the Board considered conducting a national search for the replacement for Superintendent Rick Robins, who has been with Canyons since 2020,” said President Amber Shill. “But we believe the strongest candidate to lead Canyons into a new era is already here. Dr. Robinson is currently our Assistant Superintendent and will be ready to step up into his new role on Day One.” Dr. Robinson has been a teacher at Sprucewood, principal at Lone Peak and Sandy elementary schools, a Director of Canyons elementary schools, and the Assistant Superintendent.”He knows our community, has worked in our community, and understands our community,” says Shill. “We truly need this continuity of leadership at this time in our District’s history.” As Superintendent, he will serve as the chief executive of CSD’s 47 schools and programs and steer the continued implementation of the District’s Strategic Plan.

For six decades, Bella Vista Elementary has been more than a school. It has been a gathering place, a neighborhood landmark, and second home to generations of students, families, and educators in Cottonwood Heights. This springs marks nearly 61 years since Bella Vista first opened its doors in the fall of 1965. Now, as the Bella Vista Tigers prepare to join neighboring Ridgecrest Elementary, the community is invited to the campus for an evening in celebration of the school’s legacy and lasting impact. In partnership with the school’s PTA, Bella Vista will host a Memory Night on Monday, May 4, 2026, 5-7 p.m., welcoming current and former students, families, faculty and community members to walk through the halls and reconnect with old friends. “This school holds a special place in the hearts of so many. In my time here, I’ve seen firsthand the pride and connection this community carries from more than six decades of learning and growth in this building,” said Bella Vista Principal Barbra Winder. “We look forward to honoring those memories as well as celebrating beloved school traditions and the Bella Vista spirit. The Memory Night will give the community a chance to take self-guided tours of the Bella Vista building, view displays of historical photos and memorabilia, and enjoy cake and commemorative giveaways. Friends of Bella Vista are invited to contribute to the evening by sharing memories and stories through a dedicated online form. Organizers also encourage alumni, and current and former staff and families, to bring yearbooks, photographs, and other memorabilia to temporarily display during the event.
https://www.canyonsdistrict.org/general-news/bella-vista-community-invited-to-celebrate-six-decades-of-tiger-pride-at-memory-night/