Our Policies

Teacher Qualifications

Parents have the right to request and receive information on the qualifications of their child’s teacher. If you have questions or want more information please contact the school Director or refer to the student information system.

Mountain Heights Academy employs individuals holding LEA-specific educator licenses, license areas, or endorsements in accordance with Utah Admin. Code R277-301-7. Additional information on educator licensing can be found at cactus.schools.utah.gov/PersonSearch.

The percentage of FTE-based types of licenses, license areas, and endorsements held by educators employed are:

• Professional 94.58%
• Associate 4.12%
• LEA Specific 1.30%

The following designations or levels apply to educator licenses, license areas (i.e. elementary, secondary, special education), and content endorsements (i.e. mathematics, music, Spanish, social studies):

• Professional: The educator has completed an educator preparation program that includes content and pedagogical knowledge. This program may have been completed at a university or in an alternate pathway that was supported by school districts/charters and the Utah State Board of Education.
• Associate: The educator is currently completing an educator preparation program, but has not yet completed all requirements for a Professional Educator License, license area, or endorsement. The educator is enrolled in a university-based or Local Education Agency (LEA)-based program. When the educator completes the program, they will have a professional level.
• LEA-Specific: The educator has not completed an educator preparation and is not currently enrolled in one. The LEA Specific is available for all License Areas. Only SPED (Special Education and Preschool Special Education) have the one-year only restriction, otherwise, the LEA can specify their educator for up to three years.

Special Education Child Find

Mountain Heights Academy’s Special Education Department is attempting to identify all children with disabilities who are enrolled at the school.

If a child is having significant difficulty with vision, hearing, speech and/or behavior or is experiencing slow development atypical for his/her age, physical impairments or learning difficulty then he/she may be a child with a disability. Disabilities that could interfere with education include: autism, deaf-blindness, deafness, emotional disturbance, hearing impairment, intellectual disabilities, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, specific learning disabilities, communication disorders, traumatic brain injury and visual impairment. Federal law mandates the provision of free educational programs and/or services for such persons.

If you know of a student who might qualify for Special Education services, including a student suspected of having a disability even if he/she is advancing from grade to grade, please contact the Special Education Department.

Carson Smith Scholarship

If you are the parent of a child with an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) enrolled in a public school, the school is required by Utah Code Section 53A-1a-704 (10) to inform you of the availability of a scholarship to attend a private school through the Carson Smith Scholarship Program. Information on the Carson Smith Scholarship is available on the Carson Smith Scholarships Utah State Board of Education website.

AHERA Notification

In 1986, Congress passed the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA). AHERA is a provision of the Toxic Substances Control Act. It requires that local education agencies (LEA) such as Mountain Heights Academy inspect for asbestos-containing building materials, prepare and maintain up-to-date AHERA Management Plans, and notify occupants of the plan on a yearly basis. All of this in an effort to prevent the exposure of asbestos to the occupants of our school buildings.

Our architects and builders have certified that no asbestos containing materials were used in the construction of Mountain Heights Academy’s buildings; therefore, no asbestos containing materials were identified. We continue to be alert to ensure that suspected asbestos-containing materials do not pose a hazard to our students and staff.

Mountain Heights Academy’s AHERA Management Plan is available for review in the main office and has been submitted to the Utah Department of Environmental Quality/Division of Air Quality.