Canyons School District students will no longer find Red No. 40 or Yellow No. 5 in their cafeteria lunches, and two adult-education programs will move to the former Bella Vista Elementary building in Cottonwood Heights.

The Board of Education on June 16 approved a wellness policy banning nine food additives from anything sold, donated or served in district schools during the school day. Three weeks later, on July 7, the board voted to relocate Entrada Adult High School and the Life Skills Academy to Bella Vista at 2131 Fort Union Blvd., starting in the 2027-28 school year.

The board also approved a tax-rate increase at its Aug. 4 hearing, which we reported Aug. 5. Here's what families need to know about the food and facilities changes.

Food additives banned from school meals

The updated wellness policy, presented by Assistant Legal Counsel Jeff Christensen at the June 16 meeting, prohibits potassium bromate, propylparaben and seven synthetic dyes: FD&C Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2, Green No. 3, Red No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6. The ban covers all food served during the school day.

The policy follows H.B. 402, a state law passed during the 2025 legislative session. Utah was among eight states to enact school food-additive restrictions that year.

Three exceptions apply.

Parents may still send their own children food containing the banned additives. Teachers may provide such food if they get parental permission at the start of each semester. And schools may sell items with the additives from vending machines or at concession stands during extracurricular events. The ban applies only to public schools, not charter or private schools.

Entrada and Life Skills Academy headed to Bella Vista

The board introduced the Bella Vista facility plan on June 16, then directed Dr. Tom Sherwood, director of CSD high schools, to notify affected families and collect feedback before a final vote. That outreach happened over the following weeks, and the board approved the move on July 7.

Entrada currently shares space with Diamond Ridge High School, which needs room to expand. The Life Skills Academy, a vocational-training program for adults with disabilities, operates from the former Crescent View Middle School building. That 17.8-acre property is under contract to be sold to Sandy City for $17 million, according to the Draper Journal, with a leaseback allowing LSA to finish the 2026-27 school year on site.

Sherwood told the board on July 7 that the Bella Vista site is within walking distance of the Whitmore Library and multiple business partners, with a bus stop on Fort Union Boulevard. "While the two programs will remain separate and distinct, the shared location creates a direct opportunity for Life Skills students to pursue a high school diploma at the same building in which they are learning how to lead more independent lives," Sherwood said at the July 7 board meeting.

When the Crescent View sale was approved in April, LSA Principal Stacey Nofsinger told the Draper Journal that accessibility was the top priority for any new location, citing the program's focus on preparing students for independent living and pre-job readiness.

Both programs will remain at their current locations for the 2026-27 school year. The move to Bella Vista is planned for the start of 2027-28.