Early Education

Reimagining James Madison Elementary

Ogden School District is a beautiful and vibrant community filled with dedicated leaders who aim to ensure it is a place where all its students can thrive. 

While the Ogden area faces notable challenges, it is also a community of resilience and opportunity. According to Utah's Annual Intergenerational Poverty Report, two of Ogden’s zip codes experience some of the highest rates of children in intergenerational poverty [1]. The district also serves a vibrant and diverse population, with 50% students of color, a 21.2% mobility rate, and a 22.5% English learner population [2].

These factors provide the Ogden School District with unique opportunities to innovate and create meaningful change. With the closure of James Madison Elementary, the district and its partners can reimagine the school's use not only to help meet the needs of its students but also to enrich their experiences. 

Through research, in-depth conversations, and strategic meetings, the Ogden School District, the Ogden School Foundation, and Voices for Utah Children have advanced plans to launch a community center for K-12 children and families in the Ogden School District. 

Our Four Key Priorities

Our goal is to create a community center that meets the unique needs of the Ogden community, strengthen the district's current partners, and provide families the opportunity to thrive.

To achieve this goal, we have established four key priority areas that our efforts will focus on addressing the community's needs. Each priority area will partner with relevant community partners to bring resources, information, and services into the building. Additionally, each priority area is developing proposals that showcase the current capacity, needs, assets, partners, and plans over the coming years as this initiative moves forward.

Who We Are

We are a diverse group of stakeholders coming together to inform the development of the community center and ensure that the local community's needs and assets are met and considered.

Partner with Us!

There is growing excitement within Ogden about ensuring the success of this initiative and providing adequate funding for the different programs and projects. Currently, we are looking for additional partners to support the building redevelopment, technological support, and official launch.

To discuss partnering with this initiative contact Moe Hickey at

Sources

[1] https://jobs.utah.gov/edo/intergenerational/igp24.pdf 

[2] https://www.ogdenschoolfoundation.org/who-we-are/at-a-glance