The Park City School District announced Thursday morning that COO Mike Tanner’s position has been eliminated in a reduction of force move.
The position ended March 31, though Tanner will be available through June 30 to assist in the transition of his duties to others, district spokesman Colton Elliott said.
“It has been determined that it is in the best interest of the district to effectuate a reduction in force that will result in the elimination of the COO position,” Elliott said in a prepared statement. “This is consistent with an overall trend of declining enrollment and planned school consolidation that includes the closure of Treasure Mountain Junior High at the end of the 2024-25 school year.”
Colton said the district appreciated Tanner’s work during his six-year tenure, beginning in 2019, that included dealing with COVID as well as district construction and security initiatives.
“We thank Mr. Tanner for his service to the district and wish him the best in his future endeavors,” Elliott said, adding that the district would not comment beyond the “statement on this personnel matter.”
District officials left unanswered a host of questions raised in a Park Record story written by freelance writer Michelle Deininger last fall about Tanner’s total compensation, time working remotely from out of state, and claims of serving in the Air Force Reserve after retirement from active duty, among others.
Tanner’s position was created by former district Superintendent Jill Gildea, who had worked previously with him. He was the highest paid in the state in his position, though there was an apparent discrepancy in his total compensation between what Transparent Utah reported at $357,000 and information provided directly by the school district that resulted in an estimation of $394,000. The district thus far has declined to clarify the correct amount.
Gildea reported to the school board last summer that she had granted Tanner permission to work remotely from his home in suburban Chicago in part due to reserve duty, and he told KPCW in an interview last summer that he was there finishing up reserve duty, though questions arose whether he was in the reserves at that time.
School officials also were never clear about how much time Tanner worked remotely, why he was paid for security work in an extra contract even though one of his prime duties in his base contract was overseeing security, or how much time he devoted to reserve duty vs. school district work.
Tanner himself did not respond to questions for the story in November.
Attorneys for the school district briefly threatened to sue The Park Record a few weeks after the story ran, but district officials never offered factual corrections to the report or provided clear compensation figures.
Since the story appeared, the majority of the school board has changed and a new permanent superintendent, Lyndsay Huntsman, was hired.
The district launched an external investigation into evidence raised in the Park Record article, as well as claims from another military veteran employee disputing Tanner’s service in the Air Force Reserves and accusations that he stored private vehicles for extended periods of time at the school district bus garage.
District officials declined last month to make any completed investigative report available to the public or answer questions about their findings, including from a formal request under the Government Records Access and Management Act. They cited protection under attorney-client privilege, records prepared in advance of litigation or administrative proceedings, or records concerning a governmental entity’s strategy about pending litigation.
On Friday, the school board issued the following statement: “The Park City Board of Education acknowledges the significant concerns of our community after media reports in 2024 regarding finances and behavior of administrative staff at the School District. Following that reporting, both the reporter and some private citizens who responded to it were subjected to public and personal attacks. This should not have happened and must not happen in the future. We — the Park City Board of Education — stand firmly against bullying in all its forms, both inside and outside of our school buildings. As public officials, it is our responsibility to exemplify that principle through our own actions. While reporting can sometimes be uncomfortable and details may be contested, we recognize the vital role journalists play in society and in our community. The Park City Board of Education appreciates our media partners and is committed to a productive working relationship with them.”
“One of the first tasks undertaken by Superintendent Huntsman as she has stepped into her role has been to take a hard look at the administrative structure of the district,” Elliott said in Thursday’s statement. This move will save costs and revert to an administrative structure prior to 2019, when Tanner was hired. His duties have been spread among other district administrators.
District officials on Friday declined to answer whether or how much Tanner will be paid through the end of June, or if there have been other staffed positions eliminated through this reduction in force.