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 94.26%
• Associate 4.55%
• LEA Specific 1.19%

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.

Admitted Students by Grade

Enrollment for 2020-2021

• 7th Grade: 200
• 8th Grade: 250
• 9th Grade: 300
• 10th Grade:300
• 11th Grade: 250
• 12th Grade: 200

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.

Accessibility Statement

American with Disabilities (ADA) Statement

Mountain Heights Academy is committed to making our website compliant with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). At this time we recognize that not all areas of our website may be ADA compliant. We are currently in the process of enhancing website content to be compliant with web content accessibility guidelines.

Web Accessibility Statement

Mountain Heights Academy strives to provide access to all website content, services, and transactions to all individuals seeking information from our website. Any individual unable to access any content within this site is strongly encouraged to report the problem to the contact listed below, for assistance in obtaining the information, and to allow for correction of the problem for other users. To enable us to respond in a manner most helpful, please indicate the nature of your accessibility problem, the preferred format in which to receive the material, the name of the document (if applicable), the website address of the requested material, and your contact information. 

Regarding Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files: We may be unable to provide alternate text or HTML versions for some of the documents that appear on the website in PDF format. However, it is our intent to make PDF files Section 508 compliant where applicable and possible. We will work with any individual submitting their concern to the contact below to provide any web document or information in an alternate format.

Email: 

Patriotic, Civic, and Character Education

Mountain Heights Academy will promote student character education to reaffirm values and qualities of character which promote an upright and desirable citizenry. The civic education will help cultivate informed students, encourage responsible participation in political life, and promote the fundamental values and principles of representative democracy in Utah and the United States. We will teach patriotic education as part of the social studies curricula. Examples of civic education include:

• History of the flag, etiquette, customs pertaining to the display and use of the flag, and other patriotic exercises;
• Role modeling patriotic values associated with the flag;
• Forms of government; and
• The Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.

It is acceptable for an individual to choose not to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance for religious or other reasons and students should show respect for individuals who participate and who choose not to participate. Exemptions to civic education are outlined under Utah Rule.

Board Meeting Notice and Qualifications

Board Meetings: Meetings are generally held at 9067 S 1300 W #204 West Jordan, Utah 84088. Meetings may also be held electronically or at different locations as specified by the Board of Directors.

• August 27, 2020 @9:30am
• October 23, 2020 @9:30am
• December 18, 2020 @9:30am
• February 19, 2021 @9:30am
• April 16, 2021 @9:30am
• June 18, 2021 @9:30 am

All Mountain Heights Academy board meetings follow the Utah Open Meetings Act and are open to the public. Meeting information is posted accordingly on the Utah Public Notice Website along with previous minutes and recordings. Meeting minutes and audio recordings are also available to the public by request to .

The board provides financial oversight and all budgets are approved and published on the Utah Public Finance Website. Board members of the Audit Committee are currently Jen Robison and Gavin Hutchinson. In accordance with Utah Code Ann. Section 53G-7-309, the governing board receives a budget report each month. This budget report includes the following information: (i) the amounts of all budget appropriations; (ii) the disbursements from the appropriations as of the date of the report; and (iii) the percentage of the disbursements as of the date of the report. Monthly financial reports are available by request to .

Gwendolyn Smith is an accomplished businesswoman, former Vice-President of Professional Services at Instructure, and owner of the consulting firm, Allegiant Solutions. She has worked as an IT Director and Enterprise Architect for corporations such as Oracle and the Salt Lake Olympic Committee. She holds a Bachelor’s in Computer Science from Strayer University in Washington DC and an MBA from Utah State University. Gwendolyn co-chaired the Draper Youth Council for four years, during which time the council won the Top Youth Council in the state award in 2009, became a certifying organization for the President’s Volunteer Service Award, and increased membership from five youth to over 60. She then went on to establish the Draper Peer Court and serve as advisor for several years.

Jen Robison is chief of staff to Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson. Prior to her appointment, she served as an advisor to Salt Lake County Councilwoman Aimee Winder Newton with a focus on combating intergenerational poverty. She also served as Political Director for Better Days 2020, spearheading their legislative agenda and the statewide campaign to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Utah women being the first in the nation to vote under equal suffrage laws. She led the Martha Hughes Cannon Statue Selection Committee, conducting a nationwide call for artists and then overseeing the creation of the Martha Hughes Cannon statue for National Statuary Hall at the nation’s Capitol. A Utah-native, Jen has owned a small business and consulted on many campaigns. She has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Brigham Young University and a Master’s of Public Administration degree from Southern Utah University. An avid lover of the outdoors, Jen has crisscrossed Utah by jeep, by boat, on foot and by bike. She raised three amazing daughters, and they thrive on crepes, mostly-healthy home-cooked meals, family traditions, regular getaways and adventure.

Gavin Hutchinson earned an MBA at Weber State University. He also earned the Certified Public Accounting credential and worked for the public accounting firm Schmitt Griffith Smith as a public auditor. In 2007, he joined Academica West, a charter school management company, where he helped the company grow from managing four schools to the current 18 schools on 23 campuses. Gavin was named the President/CEO of EnableUtah. Gavin currently serves as the committee chair for the Utah State Charter School Revolving Loan Committee and as member of the executive board of the Utah Association of Certified Public Accountants as the Vice-President.

Kari L. Malkovich is the Director of Public Relations for McKell, Christiansen, and Wise, Attorneys at Law. She is the past president of the Women’s State Legislative Council of Utah and is the former Chief Operations Officer (COO) of Effective Advocacy, where she taught individuals and groups the importance of community outreach and effective communication with government and business leaders. Ms. Malkovich has always been an active community leader. In addition to her work as a member of the Woodland Hills City Council, she currently serves as president of the Spanish Fork/Salem Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Malkovich graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Communications, with an emphasis in Public Relations. She is the mother of six children and grandmother to seven.

Dr. Royce Kimmons is an Assistant Professor of Instructional Psychology and Technology at Brigham Young University where he studies open education, social media, and classroom technology use. As a lifelong educator, Dr. Kimmons has worked at every level of the educational spectrum, ranging from mentoring at-risk elementary students and teaching high school students to running an educational outreach center and mentoring graduate-level college students. Dr. Kimmons has authored many research articles and book chapters in professional and scientific journals on the topic of technology in education. He has received many awards and recognitions for his work from international professional organizations, and his research projects have been featured via prominent news outlets including NPR, CNet, EdSurge, Times Higher Education, THE Journal, Deseret News, and KSL. He is also the founder of EdTechBooks.org, an initiative focused on reducing college student debt by making high-quality textbooks available for free.

Dr. David Wiley is an Associate Professor of Instructional Psychology and Technology at Brigham Young University, Chief Openness Officer of Flat World Knowledge, and Founder of the Open High School of Utah. He was formerly an Associate Professor of Instructional Technology and Director of the Center for Open and Sustainable Learning at Utah State University. David has been a Nonresident Fellow at the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School, a Visiting Scholar at the Open University of the Netherlands, and a recipient of the US National Science Foundation’s CAREER grant. David is also the Founder of OpenContent.org and was recently named one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business. David’s interests are varied, and in addition to his BFA in Music (Vocal Performance) from Marshall University, he also holds a PhD in Instructional Psychology from Brigham Young University. His career is dedicated to increasing access to educational opportunity for everyone around the world.