Sevier School District saw improved proficiency rates from students despite the pandemic. A report by the University of Utah Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute showed that 35 school districts in Utah experienced declines in English language arts proficiency rates in grades three through ten as a direct effect of the COVID pandemic, but five districts, including Sevier, actually saw increased proficiency. In an email to the district’s teachers, staff and leaders, superintendent Cade Douglas shared, “human connection is the key to our school system. While technology is a tool that can enhance instruction, it can never replace the magic of teaching that comes from human connection. As difficult as it was juggling the challenges of social distancing, quarantining and contact tracing, your efforts during this time paid off and our students have emerged from the pandemic with resilience.”