Principal Amy Ivy presented a school report on Cedar Ridge Elementary at the Cache County School Board's April 17 meeting at Legacy Campus.

Ivy told the board that Cedar Ridge, converted to an elementary school after previously serving as a middle school, currently enrolls 722 students and operates a Mandarin dual-immersion program that the principal described as a 'point of pride.' She reported strong language assessment results on the APPLE and grade-level tests: third-grade speaking proficiency was reported at 87%; fourth-grade writing and listening were each reported at 96% and reading at 94%; fifth-grade speaking 98%; and sixth-grade writing 98%, listening 87% and reading 83%.

Ivy also presented midyear district assessment averages for the school: 65% proficient in English language arts, 66% in mathematics and 69% in science. Acadience reading benchmarks by grade ranged from 73% to 87% at or above benchmark; Acadience math midyear benchmarks ranged from 63% to 77% across primary grades. Ivy said the district's math interventions (Tier 2 supports and math aides) have produced as much as "almost two years of growth" for some students this year.

Ivy identified two main challenges: recruiting and maintaining preferred class sizes for dual-language immersion (she said the ideal is 28 students per immersion classroom) and chronic absenteeism, which she reported at about 13% of students. She said causes for chronic absenteeism included mental health issues and family vacations, and the school is addressing the problem with home visits, parent education and school counseling.

Board members asked specifics: one asked whether students write Chinese characters (Ivy confirmed they do). When asked about the expectation for year-end proficiency, Ivy said she hoped scores would remain at least around 80% or higher but did not promise exact percentages. In response to a board question about dual-language staffing, Ivy said Cedar Ridge has a Mandarin immersion teacher for each grade level except kindergarten, where the configuration differs.

Ivy also described extracurricular and community supports including a school musical produced with parent volunteers, a Falcon Council service club for fifth- and sixth-graders, a literacy month that distributed books to every family, and an annual Chinese New Year assembly. The board indicated it intends to review the Facilities Advisory Committee's demographer data and any boundary recommendations later this year.

The principal's report closed with board appreciation for Cedar Ridge's progress and an acknowledgement that work remains on enrollment and attendance.