School Procedures

Friday@2:15 pm. Please see 2025-2026 HP website calendar or calendar on Parent Square for early dismissal days.

Highland Park Elementary - Attendance

There is a Lost and Found at the front entrance of the school outside the Library. Small items are turned into the office.

In Utah, families have a choice in where their students attend school. Utah law allows families and their students to apply to attend a school even if it is outside of their neighborhood. Early Open Enrollment is the time when parents can submit their application(s) for the coming school year. Early Open Enrollment applications are accepted November 15, 2025 through February 6, 2026. You can see a full timeline of the Early Open Enrollment process on our website.

Applications are reviewed and accepted based on the following priorities. 

1. Your student has a sibling at the school requested. 
2. You are a district employee. 
3. You are a SLCSD resident. 
4. You reside outside of the SLCSD district. 

Students will be accepted into schools with available space according to their priority. In the event that multiple students have the same priority, a lottery will be used to determine the final priority order. The date the application is submitted does not change the priority status; all applications received within the Early Open Enrollment period  will be reviewed together after February 6, 2026. Decisions will be made using the priority list, not the submission date of the application. 

If a student has an IEP requiring a special classroom placement, those applications will be reviewed by the Special Education Director. 

The school principal or Special Education Director will notify families by March 15 about their application decision.

For questions about all Open Enrollment periods, please contact the Student Services Department by calling  (801) 578-8206 or (801) 578-8475.

Late Open Enrollment applications will be accepted starting April 1st. Before completing and submitting the online application for late enrollment, check with your preferred school to make sure it is accepting transfer students. Schools may not be able to approve a late enrollment until after the beginning of school when the principal can determine if space is available to accommodate the request.

Students should be dressed and prepared for the cold weather with the following items: warm coats, sweaters/ hoodies, boots, hats, scarves, mittens/gloves, etc. Please ensure that these items are marked in case they are misplaced or lost. Students should come prepared to go outside, get some fresh air, and exercise outdoors daily.  

Morning: 

• Inside morning in the gym, IF there is significant rainfall or snowfall. (IF students will be getting wet outside.)
• Inside morning in the gym, IF the temperature is below 20 degrees.
• Inside mornings are from 8:15-8:45 to ensure our outside-duty teachers are in the gym to help supervise.

• Recess: 

  • Teacher/Grade Level Discretion
  • Inside recess IF the temperature is below 20 degrees. Recess time is held inside the classroom.

• Lunch Recess: 

  • Admin/Office Discretion
  • Inside lunch recess, IF there is significant rainfall or snowfall (If students will be getting wet outside), recess time is held inside the classroom.
  • Inside lunch recess, IF the temperature is below 20 degrees, recess time is held inside the classroom.

As we approach winter and the stormy conditions that come with it, Salt Lake City School District schools will be open on all regularly scheduled school days unless circumstances create health or safety issues. Like any public service, people count on our schools to remain open. Our role in the community goes beyond providing educational services: 

Many district students rely on their neighborhood schools for breakfast and lunch. These meals are not simply convenient; they provide nutritional needs for children who may otherwise go without. 

A significant number of students in the district would remain home alone without supervision if their school had an unscheduled closure. Many families don't have the luxury of adjusting work schedules on short notice. 

A functioning school building provides warmth and safety in addition to classroom instruction.  

 On nights when snow is expected, our crews are out as early as 2 or 3 a.m. surveying road conditions and our school parking lots and sidewalks. They gather information from the Utah Department of Transportation, the National Weather Service, and other sources before making a recommendation to the Superintendent on whether we should delay school start times or opt for another alternative.

We fully expect our schools to be open and functioning normally throughout the winter, but weather conditions can vary greatly in different areas of the city. During adverse conditions, we encourage parents to make attendance decisions for their children based on their specific ability to get to school safely. We trust parents to make the ultimate call when it comes to their child's safety. Not all streets are plowed at the same time, and snow totals may differ throughout the city. If you do not think it is safe to send or take your kids to school during a weather incident, you have the option to keep them home. 

If severe weather conditions force a delayed start to school or a switch to an emergency remote learning day, the district will inform parents as early in the morning as possible. Please look for notifications on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter), on the district website, and in your email. We may also send phone calls and text messages to our families.  Accordingly, if your contact information has recently changed, please call your school and provide them updated information. This will enable the school and/or the district to reliably notify you.   

Parents are encouraged to create an emergency plan for their students. Parents should plan with their students where to go or what to do if a parent is not home and schools are closed, delayed, or dismissed early. In the event of an early release, elementary and middle school students will be held at school until parents or guardians are notified and arrangements are made to keep the students safe.

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