FARMINGTON—The Davis School District received several Best of State awards and Superintendent Reid Newey honored the winners at last week’s school board meeting. 

Recipients included Davis Head Start, Clearfield High School student Sarah Frei, the district online school Davis Connect and Central Davis Junior High Band Director Christine Wolf.

Newey introduced Frei, a Clearfield High cheerleader who was paralyzed from the waist down and had both legs amputated in July 2020 after a drunk driver hit the car she was riding in.

“Sarah rebounded and returned to school and her cheerleading and academic duties after two and a half months and graduated with a 4.0 GPA,” said Newey. “She is an inspiration to all. Sarah is the epitome of what it means to be a Falcon. She is absolutely the Best of State.”

“Sarah is a bright light,” said school board member Cheryl Phipps. “When this all happened you touched the community. You are an example to all of us. When the worst thing happened you didn’t quit.”

 Other winners are:

• Head Start: The Davis Head Start program has provided early learning and education for more than 30 years in Davis County. It has been recognized twice by the National Head Start Association as a “Program of Excellence.” Head Start has also received the “Carnegie Achievement Award” three times for program innovation.

• Davis Connect: Established as a school/program by the district in 2011, Davis Connect Online School K-8 enrollment was capped at 100 students prior to the 2020 – 2021 school year. In 2019 before COVID, the district decided to open enrollment to all K-12 Utah students and families in the 2020 – 2021 year. Enrollment was anticipated to be between 200 – 400 students but more than 5,000 full-time students had enrolled by the start of the 2020 – 2021 school year making it likely the largest K-12 school in the state.

• Christine Wolf: In addition to being named Best of State, Central Davis Junior High Band Director Christine Wolf was also recognized as the 2021 Junior High Music Educator of the Year by the Utah Music Education Association. Wolf was also selected as one of School Band and Orchestra Magazine’s 50 Directors Who Make a Difference in 2017. 

“In Davis School District we have exceptional people doing extraordinary things,” said Newey. “The Best of State designation further reinforces Davis District’s commitment to striving for excellence in all that we do.”