History of the Valley Elementary School
The fall of 1968 brought the closure of the last two community schools in Long Valley, and the birth of a new school in the Kane County School District. In a new building on a new campus, the Valley Elementary school had its beginning. The teachers and students for the new school came from the Glendale Elementary School and the Orderville Elementary School who closed their doors for the last time in May of 1968. On December 10, 1919 the Mt Carmel School burned to the ground. For two years school was held in the Tithing Office, and after that students were transported to Orderville. In the fall of 1962, fifth and sixth grade students from Alton were sent on the bus to Orderville. In the spring of 1966 the Alton School closed the doors for the final time.
The description on the inside of the Dedication Program for the new Valley Elementary School which was held October 17, 1968, described the new school house in these words:
“The flexible classroom- one that can be readily converted from small group to large group instruction- one that can facilitate “individualized instruction” and “team teaching” is the design of this new school. In each of two corners of the school building, three adjoining, carpeted, classrooms can be turned into one, via accordion-fold partitions. The concept of a classroom section in the center facilitates large group instruction with or without the use of teacher aides. Other areas of the school include an instructional materials center, kindergarten room with separate entry, multipurpose room, lunch kitchen, and office suite with faculty and health rooms.”
Since that time the building has gone through a few minor changes. Walls were added between classrooms, an addition was added which created an additional classroom and a stage, the kitchen was remodeled and updated to meet new codes and demands. The building was upgraded again to bring the restrooms up to code and to add four new classrooms.
Mr. Gerald C. Spencer, the former principal of Orderville Elementary School came to the new Valley Elementary as its principal. Mr. Spencer served as principal until 1980 when he returned to the classroom and Mr. Ronald G. Taylor was appointed. He served until 1987 when he returned to the classroom and Mr. Shirl W. Spencer was appointed. Mr. Spencer served until October 1997 when he was appointed as principal at Valley High School and Mr. Taylor was asked to serve as principal once again. In 2005 Mr. Taylor retired and Mr. Brent Blodgett was appointed as principal of Valley Elementary. Mr. Blodgett served as principal until the end of the 2014 school year. Mr. Blodgett moved to Cedar City to teach second grade. Mr. Tracy Stevens moved from La Verkin Utah to become the new principal for the 2014-2015 school year. Mr. Stevens served as principal until the spring of 2018 and Mr. Brandon Jensen was hired during the spring of the 2017-2018 school year and served until 2021 when Mary Flanagan was hired.