Trailside Elementary Principal addresses Park City school board

Trailside Elementary School Photo: TownLift

PARK CITY, Utah — Trailside Elementary School Principal James Martin spoke about a lack of transparency during the public comment session of the Park City Board of Education meeting on Tuesday afternoon. His comments came shortly after two candidates for the District 4 seat vacancy said communication was an issue with the board.

Martin started last August and will not be working for the school district after June 30. He previously wrote in an email to the Trailside community that said, “education is too often about adult comfort over student need. Everything I’ve tried to do in my education career has been an effort to put students at the center.”

At the meeting on Tuesday, he said, “I have received positive feedback from my supervisor, from the people that I’ve worked with, and you know, that seems to be in conflict with the position that I’m in now.”

He then discussed how he’s been restricted in sharing educational data with parents and the community. Martin said he learned that he isn’t allowed “to let the Trailside community know how their students are doing in a public sort of way like a newsletter.”

He said he had done the same thing in previous districts that he’s worked in, and added that Trailside is the worst-performing school in the district.

Martin called Trailside students and families “wonderful,” and said, “they deserve district leadership that is going to be honest with them.”

Earlier in the meeting, the three candidates (Carlos Villar, Mandy Pomeroy, EJ Elliott) for the vacancy on the board were interviewed. The appointment will be announced at the school board meeting on April 25, and that individual will be sworn in.

A moment of silence was held at the beginning of the meeting for the passing of former board member and longtime Park City educator Kara Hendrickson.

Two Park City school board candidates oppose appointment process to fill vacancy